Volpara highlights advances in breast cancer risk assessment, breast density patient education, mammogram quality and artificial intelligence (AI)
CHICAGO, Nov. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Volpara Health Technologies Ltd. (ASX: VHT), a global leader in early cancer detection software, will showcase advances in personalized breast care at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting, November 27 to December 1, 2022 ( South Hall, # 2772).
“Each year, despite major advances in technology, approximately 700,000 people around the world die from breast cancer,” said Teri Thomas, CEO of Volpara. “At Volpara we strive to do better. RSNA is a great opportunity to see how Volpara’s AI-powered software, deep clinical insights and patient-focused care are uniquely positioned to empower providers and patients to reduce this devastating statistic.”
With the advances described below, personalized breast care programs will have an even greater impact on their patients.
Reducing mammography repeats and technical recalls with AI
Volpara® Analytics™ software was used to quantify improvement in mammography image quality in the largest North American-based image quality study to date. The main author, Dr. Peter Eby of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, will discuss the study at the conference in his presentation, “Reducing Technical Repetition and Recall Rates After Implementing AI-Driven Quality Improvement Software.”
Volpara Analytics, with its objective assessment of the quality of each mammogram, also provides performance insights and helps improve operations—crucial for an industry facing growing staffing shortages. Breast imaging staff can easily identify key areas of improvement focus for individuals, teams and sites. Top managers and technologists can display high-quality work to improve morale. Analytics significantly reduces the time spent selecting images and preparing reports for ACR accreditation and EQUIP compliance.
“The average Volpara customer uses Analytics at six or more sites to help create a culture of quality and commitment to continuous quality improvement,” said Shane Lester, Chief Product Officer at Volpara Health. “The hours saved in compliance with Volpara – reported to be 90+ hours per cycle – are now available for more useful work such as technologist training and patient care.”
Empowering patients through breast density education
As national breast density reporting legislation moves forward, Volpara recognizes that breast density reporting is only the first step on the road to educating and empowering patients.
Mammogram results fonts are extremely text-heavy, but with the new ones Volpara® Thumbnail™ Module providers can do more to help patients understand their breast health with image-enhanced scorecards.
Volpara’s thumbnail shows both images of a patient’s breast tissue as well as sample images showing the variation in breast density categories and its impact on their health and care options. These easy-to-understand explanations and visuals aim to increase patient engagement in their healthcare and are accompanied by access to a educational website offering a deeper dive into these topics.
More than a mammogram: comprehensive cancer risk assessment
Volpara® Risk Pathways™ provides a single workflow for assessing hereditary and lifetime breast cancer risk. This integrated and integrated cancer risk assessment and decision support software can be implemented within mainstream EHRs or interfaced with mammography reporting systems.
RadNet, the largest owner and operator of ambulatory imaging centers in the United States, has implemented Risk Pathways to improve breast screening services for its patients. Volpara’s solution allows patients to receive personalized lifetime risk assessment, an offering that RadNet plans to make available to its patients nationwide during 2023.
Risk Pathways also allows imaging providers to look beyond breast cancer risk and assess a patient’s risk for colorectal, ovarian, endometrial and pancreatic cancer. This enables a greater partnership with oncology departments, primary care providers and OB/GYNs for true population health impact.
To accelerate the success of risk assessment programs for these medical centers, Volpara now offers a complete set of professional service. RSNA participants have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with a Volpara Professional Services representative to assess barriers and opportunities to provide more effective and personalized care.
Breast artery calcification algorithm with Microsoft
A new algorithm for the detection and quantification of breast arterial calcification (BAC), developed in partnership with Microsoft®, is now being released for validation by clinical sites and academic groups via the Volpara Lab® research platform. BAC detection adds a new dimension to regular breast exams, providing patients with important information about their cardiovascular health.
“The ability to detect BAC from mammography will give breast imagers the opportunity to positively impact population health without additional cost, radiation dose, or patient time,” says Dr. Kathy J. Schilling, MD, Medical Director of Christine E. Lynn’s Health & Wellness Institute, Boca Raton Regional Hospital, an early partner in testing the algorithm.
New research using Volpara algorithms
Volpara’s robust and proven algorithms have established the company as a trusted research partner in many high-profile studies, including six abstracts to be presented at this year’s conference. Notably, compression pressure, assessed by the Volpara® TruPressure® algorithm, was found to be predictive of lesion visibility in a study of lesions with calcification alone.1
For more information about these developments, or to schedule an appointment, visit Volpara RSNA 2022.
Reference
- Mammographic compression and its association with lesion conspicuity for calcification-only lesions, Hill ML, Martis L, Highnam RP, Chan A. 2022 RSNA Annual Meeting, Chicago, USA.
About Volpara Health (ASX: VHT)
Volpara Health Technologies Ltd. makes software to save families from cancer. Healthcare providers use Volpara to better understand cancer risk, empower patients in personal care decisions and guide recommendations for additional imaging, genetic testing and other interventions. Our AI-powered image analysis enables radiologists to accurately quantify breast tissue and helps technologists produce mammograms with optimal image quality, positioning, compression and dose.
Volpara is the preferred partner of leading healthcare institutions worldwide. Our software is used in over 2,000 facilities by more than 5,000 technologists, impacting nearly 15 million patients worldwide. It helps providers perform more than three million cancer risk assessments each year and can be deployed on its own or fully integrated with electronic health record systems, mammography reporting systems, imaging hardware and genetic laboratories. Volpara holds the most rigorous safety certifications and numerous patents and regulatory registrations, including FDA clearance and CE marking. Since listing on the ASX in April 2016, the Company has raised A$132 million. With an office in Seattle, Volpara is based in Wellington, New Zealand.
For more information, visit www.volparahealth.com.
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SOURCE Volpara Health, Inc.
Company codes: Australia: VHT
