Breast Cancer Awareness Month began in 1985 to promote mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer.

As a result of this awareness effort, more women are getting screened. But we still have a long way to go to ensure every woman gets a recommended mammogram at the right time.

As we like to say, NCQA has a measure for that. Our HEDIS measure for Breast Cancer Screening tracks women 50-74 who had at least one mammogram in the past two years.

In our latest Inside Health Care podcast, our own Dr. Mary Barton explains why measuring breast cancer screenings is the key to improvement.

Take a look at the chart for the NCQA Breast Cancer Screening measure. After more than 30 years of breast cancer awareness, you’d think the results would be higher.

These facts from the National Breast Cancer Foundation are staggering:

These stats are no cause for celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They remind us how much farther we still have to go.