Frank Hoffmann
Ashoka Fellow since 2010   |   Germany

Frank Hoffmann

discovering hands
Dr. Frank Hoffmann pioneers a diagnostically superior, personal, low-cost breast examination method by training blind people as skilled diagnosticians. Frank’s approach integrates them into the…
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This description of Frank Hoffmann's work was prepared when Frank Hoffmann was elected to the Ashoka Fellowship in 2010.

Introduction

Dr. Frank Hoffmann pioneers a diagnostically superior, personal, low-cost breast examination method by training blind people as skilled diagnosticians. Frank’s approach integrates them into the primary health care infrastructure, while enhancing women’s health care experience and opening anRead more

The New Idea

In Germany, preventive breast cancer diagnosis is either offered through mammography—which is expensive and therefore only routinely available for women over 50—or a superficial (i.e. limited to a few minutes by most German insurance options) manual breast examination available to all women,Read more

The Problem

Breast cancer is the most frequent cause of death for women between 40 and 44 and is the most common type of cancer for women between 25 and 74. There are 58,000 new cases and 18,000 deaths every year in Germany alone. One out of ten women will suffer from breast cancer within their lifetime.

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The Strategy

Frank designed a standardized system of orientation for breast examiners based on braille strips. This mapping system is an innovative solution on its own and has already been adopted by other gynecologists. It consists of five adhesive strips placed around a woman’s breast with both braille andRead more

The Person

Frank always looked for opportunities to improve existing systems that solve social and health problems. After working in a gynecological clinic, Frank, as a young gynecologist, took over a medical practice from his predecessor, who died unexpectedly, shortly after his arrival. After expanding hisRead more

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