Documented Assessment After Mammogram (DBM-E)* 

This measure assesses the percentage of mammograms documented in the form of a Breast Imaging and Reporting System (BI-RADS) assessment within 14 days of the mammogram for members 40–74 years of age. The measure addresses the need for timely documentation of breast cancer screening and diagnostic results that are structured so automated quality measurement queries can be consistently and reliably executed.

Why It Matters?

Breast cancer accounts for 15% of all new cancer diagnoses in the U.S.¹ In 2020, over 3 million women were estimated to be living with breast cancer in the U.S., and it is estimated that 13% of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point during their lifetime.¹

Mammograms and other diagnostic procedures are performed to assess patients who present with a symptom or other sign of breast cancer. Final mammographic assessments are mandated by the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) to be reported using American College of Radiology’s (ACR) BI-RADS assessment.^2,3

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) provides breast cancer screening and diagnostic follow-up guidelines based on BI-RADS categories, which standardize reporting of findings into six assessment categories for further management:²

• BI-RADS Category 0: Need Additional Imaging Evaluation and/or Prior Mammograms for Comparison), needs additional imaging.

• BI-RADS Category 1: Negative, and Category 2: Benign, recommended for continued routine screening.

• BI-RADS Category 3: Probably Benign, recommended for mammography surveillance or tissue biopsies.

• BI-RADS Categories 4: Suspicious, through Category 5: Highly Suggestive of Malignancy, should be managed using core needle biopsy for tissue diagnosis.^4,5

• BI-RADS Category 6: Known Biopsy- Proven Malignancy, is breast cancer, and treatment can vary depending on the stage and biological characteristics of the cancer, the patient’s age and preferences and the risks and benefits associated with each treatment.

*This measure was supported by Cooperative Award NU380T000303 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI). Its contents are the sole responsibility of the authors (NCQA) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Department of Health and Human Services, the US government, or the NNPHI.

Historical Results – National Averages

Performance results for this measure are currently unavailable.