title: Mammography and litigation.
abstract: Mammography is perhaps the most heavily legislated medical procedure, and medical malpractice lawsuits are filed against mammographers for several reasons, including mammogram misread and delayed diagnosis. Perhaps the driving force behind mammography litigation is public perception of mammography's effectiveness. Surveys have indicated that the public attributes 100% sensitivity to mammography, whereas its actual sensitivity is approximately 79%. Fear of litigation affects mammography practice, and several initiatives have been suggested to address the problem of rampant mammography litigation, including increasing public awareness, to improve working conditions for mammographers and to ensure the future of this lifesaving procedure.
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006300:Health Services Misuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends*; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology