Project Description:
In the US, women with disabilities are less likely to receive routine mammography than women without disabilities. Research has explained this discrepancy by showing that women with disabilities often face physical and attitudinal barriers to accessing health care. The physical and environmental barriers that people with disabilities confront include transportation, accessibility of offices and of medical equipment, provider lack of knowledge, and provider and staff insensitivity to needs.
Mammography facility? staff represents a key point of contact in the breast health care continuum. A client who has one negative experience receiving a mammogram may be deterred form returning for subsequent mammograms for years to come. On the other hand, a positive mammography experience where the facility is accessible and the staff are competent in communication and serving women with disabilities is likely to encourage a client to seek routine preventative mammograms and may also empower her to take additional proactive steps to ensure her own breast health, such as obtaining regular clinical breast exams, openly communicating concerns to her health care provider, and seeking follow-up care if needed. Educating mammography technologists and front-line staff is, therefore, fundamental to any effort to increase screening rates for women with disabilities.
OODH is proposing to provide a one-day training to Mammography Technologists in Central Oregon. The 6 hour training will take place on a Saturday and will provide 4.5 ASRT approved CEUs, to the Technologists. The first half of the day will include a presentation by a panel of 4 women with various disabilities who will provide information on, 1) disability and health data, 2) appropriate attitudes, etiquette and communication when working with women with disabilities, and 3) how to respond to appointment and scheduling needs of women with disabilities. The afternoon presentation will be provided by an expert Mammography Technologist who will share her expertise on positioning techniques when screening women with mobility limitations.
The Goal and Outcomes of the training are as follows:
Goal: Increase the knowledge and skills of mammography technologists to provide culturally competent, accessible, and high quality mammograms to women with disabilities.
Outcomes for Mamm Techs include:
? Identify barriers and solutions in providing mammography screening;
? Utilize tools and resources to better serve women with disabilities;
? Increase disability awareness, sensitivity, communication skills and
knowledge that will promote breast cancer screening for women with
disabilities, i.e., women with physical disabilities, sensory
disabilities and cognitive limitations; and
? Enhance mammography technologists positioning skills and techniques
for when they are conducting mammograms for women with physical
disabilities.
