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.
医疗影像的可及性在医疗保健中至关重要，对疾病的预防、诊断和管理起着关键作用。然而，这一领域仍存在显著差异，边缘化社区、少数族裔群体以及面临语言或文化障碍的个体受到的影响尤为突出。本文以乳腺癌筛查为重点，系统评估了减少这些差异的方法。我们强调科学流动性作为放射科医生推动医疗政策变革的重要工具：它不仅能够提升放射学界的多样性和文化能力，还能促进医疗机构间的国际合作与知识交流。本文探讨了确保放射科医生文化能力的相关举措，包括持续文化教育、敏感性培训及人才队伍多元化。这些措施对改善医患沟通、减少医疗差异具有关键意义。本文同时指出政策调整与立法在促进乳腺X线摄影等关键筛查服务公平可及方面的重要作用，并探讨了远程放射学在改善偏远和服务不足地区医疗影像可及性方面的挑战与潜力。在人工智能时代，本文强调必须跨人群验证其模型以防止偏见，实现公平的医疗结果。最后，通过展示国际合作在分享见解与策略以克服全球医疗影像可及性障碍方面的作用，阐明了其重要性。总体而言，本文全面概述了医疗影像可及性差异相关的挑战，并提出了可行的解决策略，旨在推动医疗服务的公平化发展。
Disparities in Breast Cancer Diagnostics: How Radiologists Can Level the Inequalities
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家