Plans provide for two approaches to itinerant services. The first involves using a portable mammography unit that can be transported by air, sea, land, or rail to provide screening services to remote communities that are hard to access by road. This approach is commonly called SOPHIE, which is the name of the unit used.
Itinerant Mammography Services
The other approach consists in offering mobile mammography services using a motor coach equipped with a mammography unit. The mobile unit can travel to areas without the service and remain on a temporary or permanent basis. Referred to as CLARA, this unit was acquired through a partnership with the Fondation Jean Marc Paquette and several private sponsors. Launched in May 2001, the mobile unit has travelled many kilometers to reach women in various remote regions. Taken together, these two units made it possible to perform more than 15,000 mammograms from 2002 to 2005.
Management and operation of these itinerant mammography units has been assigned to the Direction des systèmes de soins et services of the Institut national de Santé publique du Québec (INSPQ).
