Since 1985, Group Health has provided women with automated mammogram reminders based on their risk of breast cancer. The screening program has several goals:
- Screen all women over 40 years of age for breast cancer.
- Give Group Health radiologists information on breast cancer risk factors that might affect mammogram results.
- Update women’s breast cancer risk factors, which determine their screening interval.
1985—Group Health’s Breast Cancer Screening Program began. All women were mailed a baseline survey to assess breast cancer risk factors when they turned 40 or enrolled in Group Health if 40 or older. The questionnaire used during this period was the BCSP.
1996—Group Health started the Interim Mammography Reporting System (IMRS). Now women could update their risk factors at each screening mammogram using an in-clinic survey. The IMRS survey also contained one page to record radiologists’ mammogram results.
October 2000—The radiologist portion of the IMRS survey was replaced by a new product, IDXrad. IDXrad created a database where radiologists could directly update mammogram results.
June 2001—Group Health combined the baseline and IMRS surveys into a single survey, the Breast Screening Recruitment and Reminders (BSRR) system. The survey is still mailed to all Group Health members when they turn 40 or enroll in Group Health, and filled out at every screening mammogram.
2002—Screening examinations no longer include a clinical breast examination done by a nurse. Instead, primary care providers do clinical breast examinations at separate appointments.
October 2006—Group Health started its own Web-based health risk assessment (HRA) form, which was rolled out starting in 2006. This new form, called the Health Profile, asks all Group Health members about health behaviors, risk factors, and medical history. Some of the questions are the same as those on the BSRR survey.
January 2008 – The BSRR system no longer mails BSRR surveys to new enrollees or mammogram reminder letters. Instead, Group Health sends out annual birthday letters reminding women to fill out the HRA and schedule a mammogram based on their individual breast cancer risk. The BSRR is still filled out in the clinic to collect a more complete assessment of breast cancer risk factors than the HRA, in addition to any current breast problems.