Keeping breast imaging quality uniform as volumes rise

Breast cancer incidence is rising, and so is demand for supplemental imaging. In an interview with Diagnostic Imaging, Deepa Sheth, MD, breast radiologist and chair of women’s imaging at CIVIE, described how her team keeps quality consistent while volumes grow.

One standard across every hospital

After Prime Healthcare acquired eight hospitals in Illinois, CIVIE’s RadPod platform made sure every breast imaging study at those sites was read by fellowship-trained breast radiologists.

A shared, cloud-based PACS made it possible to hold every site to the same standard. Community hospitals that once had limited subspecialty coverage now follow standardized diagnostic schedules and biopsy workflows. “We have uniform biopsy trays across the board,” Dr. Sheth said. “We all give the same recommendations now that follow the BI‑RADS lexicon.”

Density notification is a chance to educate

Federally mandated breast density notification has made patients more aware of their own risk. Dr. Sheth sees that as an opening rather than a burden: “We want our patients to be educated and empowered about their breast health.”

Faster breast MRI

To meet rising demand and make the exam easier for patients, the team has streamlined breast MRI protocols. “We’ve really curtailed (the breast MRI) down to 15 minutes in and out,” she said.

Read more about CIVIE for breast imaging.

Source: “Maintaining quality standards for breast imaging amid rising imaging volumes,” Jeff Hall, Diagnostic Imaging, October 21, 2025.