Newfoundland health authority reviewing about 3,000 mammograms for possible issues | Globalnews.ca

A health authority in central Newfoundland says it’s reviewing mammograms for approximately 3,000 patients after discovering some images had been analyzed using incorrect screens.

Andree Robichaud, president and chief executive officer of Central Health, told reporters today that the mammograms under review cover a period between Nov. 1, 2019, and Aug. 19, 2022.

Officials say current health standards require mammograms to be viewed on monitors with five-megapixel resolution, but they say the health authority became aware last week that some had been viewed on three-megapixel screens.

Robichaud says the health authority will review its mammogram viewing procedures and look at whether this error occurred because staff had been working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She says preliminary reviews of mammograms from 468 patients showed three had potential discrepancies.

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Dr. Angela Pickles, with the province’s Eastern Health authority, says that three discrepancies is within the expected margin of error and that it is impossible to tell if they arose because of the screens or because of differing interpretations of the mammograms.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24, 2022.