The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation - Atlantic announced today a first-of-its-kind partnership between the breast screening programs of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador that yield benefits that could extend to the rest of Canada and beyond. Under the partnership, the screening programs will collaborate on the development of a customized, shared database that will form the foundation of a breast cancer program that tracks women throughout their involvement in screening and diagnosis.
"The database itself is a goldmine of information and an epidemiologist's dream," says Dr. Jennifer Payne, Assistant Professor, Department of Diagnostic Radiology at Dalhousie University. "We're able to watch - in real time - how the program is operating and respond quickly to areas of concern or opportunities for improvement."
As a woman enters the program for screening or diagnosis, her file becomes part of the improved database for that province. The database is used to drive the operations of the program and will:
- Ensure women are tracked throughout their involvement in the program, whether for routine screening or as they move through diagnosis to treatment for breast cancer - Generate reminder notices to ensure women book their regular mammograms - Send updates on women's progress and outcomes to their family doctor - Offer personalized and confidential reports to healthcare providers on their performance as part of the system - Allow instant review and proactive management of wait times and bookings
The information collected will provide insight into: