Quality assurance. How to audit your own mammography practice.

The medical audit is an important component of a comprehensive mammography quality assurance program. It provides a direct assessment of one's ability to detect otherwise occult breast cancer, the ultimate indicator of mammography performance. Audits must be properly planned, executed, interpreted, and used. The audit that shows successful clinical results can be used to build and maintain a high state of morale among mammography personnel as well as to encourage new and repeat referrals to a mammography practice. The audit that uncovers a deficiency in clinical performance can be instrumental in helping to plan remedial measures that correct the problem.