SmartCurve: Is Patient Experience the Final Frontier of Care?

Over the past 40 years, the field of mammography has made remarkable strides. Our ability to detect potential problems and early stage cancers has grown tremendously. In fact, one could make the argument that the greatest improvement in our ability to decrease mortality lies not in the technology itself, but in driving patient engagement, compliance and satisfaction to higher levels. To do this requires creating a better patient experience — and eliminating the obstacles to routine screenings.

93%

of patients who experienced discomfort with standard compression reported improved comfort with SmartCurve™

Reducing the #1 Barrier to Compliance: Discomfort

One of the most frequently voiced barriers to compliance is the fear of pain and discomfort. SmartCurve was designed specifically to address this issue, with its signature curved paddle that distributes pressure more evenly over the breast, lessening the force of compression while maximizing comfort. The ergonomics of comfort. The development of the curved paddle evolved from the effectiveness of 3D mammograms. There was a persistent struggle to screen areas of the breast that are thinner, which results in over-compression. Through collaboration with Hologic, a medical technology innovator, we devised the curved surface to aid in compression effectiveness and to simultaneously improve comfort.

Many women feel pain during standard flat paddle mammograms because of the required pressure against the chest wall. Molded to fit the curve of a woman’s breast, SmartCurve reduces discomfort during compression. Improved comfort is obtained without an increase in radiation exposure and without compromising imaging quality.

Two Technologies are Better Than One: SmartCurve + 3D Mammography

Independently, both 3D mammography and SmartCurve represent substantial improvements. But when integrated into a single screening platform, they represent the unification of the gold standard in accuracy with a clinically proven solution for greater comfort. The end result? A better, more accurate mammogram and an improved experience for the patient.