Need A Mammogram? Go Mobile
Posted on: 15 May 2015
If you need a mammogram, you could schedule one with your regular health care institution, or you could get your screening done at one of the newest and most popular locations: a mobile mammogram unit. Here's information about this new technology that you might want to make use of or even schedule for your employees or women's group.
Mobile Mammogram Basics
A mobile mammogram unit is a portable mammogram system that either screens women in a movable clinic pulled by a semi or sets up in a small room on-site. Mobile mammograms can be done in hospital parking lots, work locations, stores, clubs, or any other central location. Some units are booked for an entire day by a business for its employees, while others publish their itineraries and allow women to schedule appointments.
Mammogram results are either read on-site by a radiologist or sent via satellite Internet to a radiologist at a nearby hospital or clinic. Units that offer digital mammograms frequently have a special radiologist on site to interpret them. Some units can also compare the current results to your last mammogram, if they are available. The results can be sent to your primary care physician or OB/GYN. If there are positive findings on your mammogram, a mobile mammogram unit can make suggestions for what to do next.
Benefits of Mobile Mammograms
Mobile mammograms play a vital role in the early detection of breast cancer by screening women who would otherwise be tempted to forgo the test. Mobile mammograms can often be less expensive than the same test at a hospital or clinic, because the mobile units have underwriting from philanthropic organizations. Some employers even cover the cost of the test for their employees when they bring a mobile mammogram unit to the workplace.
Some women also have trouble taking time off to have a mammogram or they live or work a long distance from their doctor's office. A mobile mammogram allows them to get the test done quickly and efficiently. Mobile mammograms also travel to areas that are underserved by health care facilities, such as poor neighborhoods and Native American reservations.
Preparation for Your Mobile Mammogram
On the day of your mammogram, don't wear perfume, powder, lotion or jewelry. Most mobile clinics suggest wearing a two-piece outfit that day for comfort and convenience.
To receive a mobile mammogram from most units, you must
- be over 35 years old
- have a primary care physician (although some mobile units will find one for you if you don't have one)
- have proof of insurance (if your workplace or other organization is not sponsoring the test completely)
- not be pregnant or nursing
- have no history of breast cancer in the last two years
- not have had a mammogram in the last 12 months
- not be experiencing any symptoms of breast cancer
Early detection is the first step in surviving breast cancer. If getting your mammogram from a brick-and-mortar clinic doesn't work for you, try a mobile unit (available from companies like Women's Care Inc). You may never want to be screened any other way again.
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