Prevention and Chronic Condition Management:

Breast Cancer Screening

What are we measuring and why?

Breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in women. Breast cancer screening through mammography can help detect cancer at an early and more treatable stage. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread, so early and regular screening is very important. The measurement is the rate of women having a mammogram at least every other year between age 40 and 69.

How are we doing and how do we compare to best practice?

For this measure, the Massachusetts State average of 83% is better than the national 90th percentile of 80%. The overall score for Partners community practices is 85% for this measure, which exceeds both of these benchmarks.

What are we doing to improve?

Our physicians use the reminders and scheduling systems that work best to make sure patients receive regular screening for breast cancer.  Systems making this easier are the electronic medical record and other electronic systems that can identify women who should be screened, and then help the physicians send a reminder to women when they are due for a mammogram.

Partners Community Healthcare, Inc. (PCHI) is the network of primary care and specialty physicians and other health professionals who make up our ambulatory care network. To learn more about PCHI, please visit the About Partners page of this web site.

Charts for Breast Cancer Screening

  • Current Scores
  • Current Scores

Breast Cancer Screening
Higher values are better


80% 83% 84%

Partners HealthCare Data Period: January 2010 – December 2010

Partners HealthCare Source: Partners Community HealthCare, Inc.
Mass. State Average Source: Massachusetts Health Quality Partners
National 90th Percentile Source: Massachusetts Health Quality Partners

Breast Cancer Screening
Higher values are better


82.1% 78.9% 80.6% 79% 86.6% 87.2% 84.2% 82% 88.1% 83.5% 84.2% 86.5% 79.3% 86.1% 81.1% 79.3% 83.9%

Partners HealthCare Data Period: January 2010 – December 2010

Partners HealthCare Source: Partners Community HealthCare, Inc.
Mass. State Average Source: Massachusetts Health Quality Partners
National 90th Percentile Source: Massachusetts Health Quality Partners