Pesapane Filippo, Tantrige Priyan, Rotili Anna, Nicosia Luca, Penco Silvia, Bozzini Anna Carla, Raimondi Sara, Corso Giovanni, Grasso Roberto, Pravettoni Gabriella, Gandini Sara, Cassano Enrico
Breast Imaging Division, IEO European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141 Milan, Italy.
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London SE5 9RS, UK.
Cancers (Basel). 2023 Dec 27;16(1):130. doi: 10.3390/cancers16010130.
Access to medical imaging is pivotal in healthcare, playing a crucial role in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of diseases. However, disparities persist in this scenario, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals facing linguistic or cultural barriers. This paper critically assesses methods to mitigate these disparities, with a focus on breast cancer screening. We underscore scientific mobility as a vital tool for radiologists to advocate for healthcare policy changes: it not only enhances diversity and cultural competence within the radiology community but also fosters international cooperation and knowledge exchange among healthcare institutions. Efforts to ensure cultural competency among radiologists are discussed, including ongoing cultural education, sensitivity training, and workforce diversification. These initiatives are key to improving patient communication and reducing healthcare disparities. This paper also highlights the crucial role of policy changes and legislation in promoting equal access to essential screening services like mammography. We explore the challenges and potential of teleradiology in improving access to medical imaging in remote and underserved areas. In the era of artificial intelligence, this paper emphasizes the necessity of validating its models across a spectrum of populations to prevent bias and achieve equitable healthcare outcomes. Finally, the importance of international collaboration is illustrated, showcasing its role in sharing insights and strategies to overcome global access barriers in medical imaging. Overall, this paper offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges related to disparities in medical imaging access and proposes actionable strategies to address these challenges, aiming for equitable healthcare delivery.
获得医学影像在医疗保健中至关重要，在疾病的预防、诊断和管理中发挥着关键作用。然而，在这种情况下，差距依然存在，对边缘化社区、种族和少数族裔以及面临语言或文化障碍的个人产生了不成比例的影响。本文批判性地评估了减轻这些差距的方法，重点是乳腺癌筛查。我们强调科学流动是放射科医生倡导医疗保健政策变革的重要工具：它不仅增强了放射学界的多样性和文化能力，还促进了医疗机构之间的国际合作和知识交流。文中讨论了确保放射科医生具备文化能力的努力，包括持续的文化教育、敏感性培训和劳动力多元化。这些举措是改善医患沟通和减少医疗保健差距的关键。本文还强调了政策变革和立法在促进平等获得乳房X线摄影等基本筛查服务方面的关键作用。我们探讨了远程放射学在改善偏远和服务不足地区医学影像获取方面的挑战和潜力。在人工智能时代，本文强调有必要在广泛的人群中验证其模型，以防止偏见并实现公平的医疗保健结果。最后，阐述了国际合作的重要性，展示了其在分享见解和战略以克服医学影像全球获取障碍方面的作用。总体而言，本文全面概述了与医学影像获取差距相关的挑战，并提出了应对这些挑战的可行策略，旨在实现公平的医疗保健服务。
