* Digital health is gaining space in these times of pandemic, thus contributing to improve the health of users throughout the Health Assistance Network.
Aysen.- In order to reduce the current gap in mammograms and, in turn, reduce waiting times to obtain the results, contributing to the early diagnosis of breast cancer, also shortening the gap of radiologists destined to take this examination, especially in Primary Health Care is that the strategy called “Digital Health and Mammography” has been generated.
This strategy delivers a result through Hospital Digital, in a maximum time of 72 hours, where a group of radiologists from the Ministry of Health evaluate the images sent from the mobile mammograph of the Aysén region, thus contributing to a timely diagnosis .
Franklin Fournier, Deputy Director of Assistance Management of the Aysén Health Service, emphasized that “the Digital Hospital is a fundamental strategy for equity and to arrive on time in diseases as delicate as breast cancer, we hope very soon to add the Regional Hospital Coyhaique with this type of reports, we are already in talks with the Ministry to give a course during this year 2021, which will reduce the costs for this type of exams to the Aysén Health Service ”.
Jenny Obando, reference nurse for the Digital Health Program, indicated that “digital health strategies are achieving equitable access to health, especially to care by specialists for all the people who inhabit the region, including the most remote areas, since the mobile mammogram offers the possibility of taking mammography in isolated areas. This, added to the National Cancer Plan, contributes to an early diagnosis, increasing women’s access to mammography, also ensuring their prompt referral in cases of suspected breast cancer ”.
For her part, the person in charge of the Mobile Mammographer, Carolina Álvarez, pointed out that “at present, they are working hard to reduce the waiting lists for mammography, so in 2019, a total of 1,963 examinations of mammography. During 2020 – despite the Covid-19 pandemic – a total of 580 examinations were carried out.
It should be noted that the mobile mammograph of the Aysén Health Service serves approximately 90% of the users of the communes of our region, addressing the north, central and south of the region, such as both CESFAM of Coyhaique, Chile Chico, Melinka, Islas Huichas, Puerto Cisnes, Mañihuales, Puerto Ibáñez, Cerro Castillo, to name a few locations that allow mobile mammography access without decalibration.
Remember that mammography should begin to be performed from the age of 40 onwards, and the target population is those women aged 50 to 69 years for screening, women of any other age with risk factors, women who start menopausal hormone therapy, and clinical suspicion of malignant pathology.
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