TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparison of reporting radiographers' and medical doctors' performance in reporting radiographs of the appendicular skeleton, referred by the emergency department

AU - Bachmann, R.

AU - Ingebrigtsen, R. L.

AU - Holm, O.

AU - Christensen, A. F.

AU - Kurt, E. Y.

AU - Hvolris, J. J.

AU - Forman, J. L.

AU - Lauridsen, C. A.

AU - Madsen, K. S.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The College of Radiographers

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Introduction: There is an increasing trend towards deploying reporting radiographers in Danish hospitals who, among various professional groups, interpret and report skeletal radiographs from the emergency department (ED). This study aimed to compare the quality of the reports issued by reporting radiographers to three different groups of medical doctors (MDs) who interpret or report skeletal radiographs at the ED. Methods: Four professional groups (i.e. four reporting radiographers, two radiology trainees, two orthopaedic senior trainees, and two orthopaedic trainees) reported 100 radiographs of the appendicular skeleton. The Consequence of clinical Outcome score (CO-score), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of each group were compared. The relative risk of a false-negative, false-positive or wrong result, the risk of a serious error, as well as the odds ratio of a more severe CO-score for each of the three MD groups, were compared to the reporting radiographers. Results: There was a significant difference between the groups in reference to the CO-score (P ≤ 0.001), accuracy (P =.003), specificity (P =.022), and in the proportion of serious errors (P ≤ 0.001). Compared to the reporting radiographers, all three groups of MDs showed a significantly higher CO-score and a significantly increased risk of a wrong result. Moreover, two of the MD groups showed a significantly increased risk of a false-positive result and for severe errors. Conclusion: Based on the CO-score, the relative risk of errors, which could potentially cause malpractice in treatment and patient recall, significantly decreased when the reports were completed by reporting radiographers. Implications for practice: To explore the need for a 24-h radiographer reporting service to the EDs, an upscaled study, like the current, with more participants representing the professional groups is highly recommended.

AB - Introduction: There is an increasing trend towards deploying reporting radiographers in Danish hospitals who, among various professional groups, interpret and report skeletal radiographs from the emergency department (ED). This study aimed to compare the quality of the reports issued by reporting radiographers to three different groups of medical doctors (MDs) who interpret or report skeletal radiographs at the ED. Methods: Four professional groups (i.e. four reporting radiographers, two radiology trainees, two orthopaedic senior trainees, and two orthopaedic trainees) reported 100 radiographs of the appendicular skeleton. The Consequence of clinical Outcome score (CO-score), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of each group were compared. The relative risk of a false-negative, false-positive or wrong result, the risk of a serious error, as well as the odds ratio of a more severe CO-score for each of the three MD groups, were compared to the reporting radiographers. Results: There was a significant difference between the groups in reference to the CO-score (P ≤ 0.001), accuracy (P =.003), specificity (P =.022), and in the proportion of serious errors (P ≤ 0.001). Compared to the reporting radiographers, all three groups of MDs showed a significantly higher CO-score and a significantly increased risk of a wrong result. Moreover, two of the MD groups showed a significantly increased risk of a false-positive result and for severe errors. Conclusion: Based on the CO-score, the relative risk of errors, which could potentially cause malpractice in treatment and patient recall, significantly decreased when the reports were completed by reporting radiographers. Implications for practice: To explore the need for a 24-h radiographer reporting service to the EDs, an upscaled study, like the current, with more participants representing the professional groups is highly recommended.

KW - Immediate reporting

KW - Patient outcome

KW - Radiographer reporting

KW - Skeletal radiology

U2 - 10.1016/j.radi.2021.04.013

DO - 10.1016/j.radi.2021.04.013

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34006443

AN - SCOPUS:85106249276

VL - 27

SP - 1099

EP - 1104

JO - Radiography

JF - Radiography

SN - 1078-8174

IS - 4

ER -