Recommendations for Additional Imaging in Radiology Reports: Multifactorial Analysis of 5.9 Million Examinations

Abstract

The likelihood of RAI increased by 15% for each decade of radiologist experience and roughly doubled over 13 years of study.

Radiology Reports for Incidental Thyroid Nodules on CT and MRI: High Variability across Subspecialties

“…A prior study found that the overall rate of recommending additional imaging decreased as radiologists' experience increased. 8 However, we did not observe this trend. In fact, the more experienced radiologists were most likely to report ITNs in the "Impression" section and recommend work-up, and radiologists with 5-9 years' experience were least likely to report ITNs in the "Impression" and recommend work-up.…”

“…Different recommendations for patients with the same nodule characteristics and clinical history are problematic because they can lead to variation in practice patterns, potential variation in the quality of patient care, and anxiety for patients, and they can po-tentially increase health care costs from the performance of more imaging studies, biopsies, and diagnostic surgeries. 2,[7][8][9] Although some incidental cancers may be diagnosed and treated at an earlier stage, Ͼ50% of patients with ITNs that have surgery will ultimately be diagnosed with benign disease. 10,11 The variation in reporting styles for ITNs seen on CT and MR imaging has been measured in a recent study, which surveyed radiologists on how they reported different scenarios varying in nodule size and patient history.…”

Natural Language Processing Technologies in Radiology Research and Clinical Applications

“…(Fig 10 reprinted, with permission, from reference 9.) partment (44). In addition to observing a doubling of the proportion of examinations that contained at least one recommendation for additional imaging during the study period (from 6% to 12%), the authors assessed correlations with imaging modality, body area examined, ordering service, and radiologist specialty (44).…”

“…partment (44). In addition to observing a doubling of the proportion of examinations that contained at least one recommendation for additional imaging during the study period (from 6% to 12%), the authors assessed correlations with imaging modality, body area examined, ordering service, and radiologist specialty (44). Such information can be used for quality improvement, performance quantification, and (potentially) feedback for individual radiologists on their recommendation rates.…”

Follow-up recommendations: the challenge, the opportunity and our future

“…Follow-up recommendations in radiology reports are both common and increasingly utilized [2]. But what is the fundamental role of the recommendation?…”