Outsourcing magnetic resonance examinations may be an effective way of reducing a radiology department's workload. Ways in which to reduce the additional costs incurred for re-assessment of outsourced examinations must be investigated further.

BackgroundOutsourcing radiological examinations from public university hospitals affects the patient, who has to attend a different clinic or hospital for the radiological examination. We currently have a limited understanding of how patients view outsourcing and their care related to MR examinations.AimAim. To examine the experiences of patients who are sent to private radiology units when their referrals for MR examinations are outsourced from a university hospital, as well as to explore factors which influence patient satisfaction regarding the quality of care related to the MR examination.MethodsA group of patients (n = 160) referred for MR examinations and either examined at a university hospital or at an external private unit were interviewed. The interview was designed as a verbal questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Student’s t test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson’s correlation.ResultsSixty-nine percent of the patients could neither choose nor influence the location at which they were examined. For those who could, aspects that influenced the patient’s choice of radiology department were: short waiting time 79% (127/160), ease of traveling to the radiology department 68% (110/160), and short distance to their home or work 58% (93/160). For 40% (60/160) of the patients, a short time in the waiting room was related to a positive experience of the MR examination.ConclusionConclusion. If patients were informed about outsourcing and could also choose where to have their examination, key factors contributing to patient satisfaction could be met even when MR examinations are outsourced.

Background Identifying a useful marker for thoracic aortic dilatation (TAD) could help improve informed clinical decisions, enhance diagnosis, and develop TAD screening programs. Inguinal hernia could be such a marker. This study tested the hypothesis that the thoracic aorta is larger and more often dilated in men with previous inguinal hernia repair versus nonhernia controls. Methods Four hundred men each with either previous inguinal hernia repair or cholecystectomy (controls) were identified to undergo chest computed tomography to measure the diameter of the thoracic aorta in the aortic root, ascending, isthmic, and descending aorta and to provide self-reported health data. Presence of TAD (root or ascending diameter > 45 mm; isthmic or descending diameter > 35 mm) and thoracic aortic diameters were compared between groups and associations explored using uni- and multivariable statistical methods. Results Complete data were obtained from 470/718 (65%) eligible participants. TAD prevalence was significantly higher in the inguinal hernia group: 21 (10%) versus 6 (2.4%), p = 0.001 for proximal TAD, 29 (13%) versus 21 (8.3%), p = 0.049 for distal TAD, and 50 (23%) versus 27 (11%), p < 0.001 for all aortic segments combined. In multivariable analysis, previous inguinal hernia repair was independently associated with dilatation of the proximal aorta (odds ratio 5.3, 95% confidence interval 1.8–15, p = 0.003). Contrarily, mean thoracic aortic diameters were similar (root and ascending aorta) or showed clinically irrelevant differences (isthmus and descending aorta). Conclusion TAD, but not increased aortic diameters on average, was common and significantly more prevalent in men with previous inguinal hernia repair. Hernia could be a marker condition associated with increased prevalence of TAD. Ultimately, TAD screening could consider hernia as a possible selection criterion.