VIDEO: An easy way to improve breast biopsy practices

SAN FRANCISCO – Surgeons improve if they know they are behind the curve, according to Dr. Judy A. Tjoe, a breast cancer surgeon with Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care.

She and her colleagues used that principle to significantly increase Aurora’s use of minimally invasive breast biopsies, the gold standard to diagnose breast cancer.

Although Dr. Tjoe and the system’s other three dedicated breast surgeons were using MIBB as appropriate, they found that 9 of 42 general surgeons (21%) were not, opting instead for open biopsies.

All it took to fix the problem was letting those surgeons know that minimally invasive breast biopsies was the preferred method, and that most of their peers were using it.

In a video interview at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, Dr. Tjoe, also chair of Aurora’s quality committee for breast cancer care, explained why that message was so powerful, and how, in an era of pay for performance, the project is a model for improving health care without punitive measures.

aotto@frontlinemedcom.com

SAN FRANCISCO – Surgeons improve if they know they are behind the curve, according to Dr. Judy A. Tjoe, a breast cancer surgeon with Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care.

She and her colleagues used that principle to significantly increase Aurora’s use of minimally invasive breast biopsies, the gold standard to diagnose breast cancer.

Although Dr. Tjoe and the system’s other three dedicated breast surgeons were using MIBB as appropriate, they found that 9 of 42 general surgeons (21%) were not, opting instead for open biopsies.

All it took to fix the problem was letting those surgeons know that minimally invasive breast biopsies was the preferred method, and that most of their peers were using it.

In a video interview at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, Dr. Tjoe, also chair of Aurora’s quality committee for breast cancer care, explained why that message was so powerful, and how, in an era of pay for performance, the project is a model for improving health care without punitive measures.

aotto@frontlinemedcom.com

SAN FRANCISCO – Surgeons improve if they know they are behind the curve, according to Dr. Judy A. Tjoe, a breast cancer surgeon with Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care.

She and her colleagues used that principle to significantly increase Aurora’s use of minimally invasive breast biopsies, the gold standard to diagnose breast cancer.

Although Dr. Tjoe and the system’s other three dedicated breast surgeons were using MIBB as appropriate, they found that 9 of 42 general surgeons (21%) were not, opting instead for open biopsies.

All it took to fix the problem was letting those surgeons know that minimally invasive breast biopsies was the preferred method, and that most of their peers were using it.

In a video interview at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, Dr. Tjoe, also chair of Aurora’s quality committee for breast cancer care, explained why that message was so powerful, and how, in an era of pay for performance, the project is a model for improving health care without punitive measures.

aotto@frontlinemedcom.com