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Diagnostic Reading #49: Five “Must Read” Articles on HIT and Radiology

Reading Time: 3 minutes read

Reporting responsibilities and unread reports are in the news.

Imaging informatics: 6 ways to get an extra radiologist for free – Radiology Today

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Diagnostic reading helps radiologists, healthcare IT and others in the medical imaging profession stay up to date.

This week’s articles in Diagnostic Reading include: how to get extra help in radiology at no extra cost; 3D mammography improves breast cancer screening; many follow-up images, radiology reports are not reviewed; radiologists and radiographers are sharing reporting responsibilities; and physicians ignore CDS recommendations.

With continuous advances in diagnostic imaging technology and utilization, the workload in radiology has increased considerably. As the workload increases, so does the need for faster, more efficient and accurate ways to meet the demand. This article offers six suggestions that can help expand a team of experts without actually adding a body or a paycheck.

3D mammography detected 34% more breast cancers in screening– Healthcare in Europe

After screening 15,000 women over a period of five years, a major clinical study in Sweden has shown that 3D mammography, or breast tomosynthesis, detects over 30% more cancers compared to traditional mammography—with a majority of the detected tumors proving to be invasive cancers. In breast tomosynthesis, several low-dose X-ray images are taken of the breast from different angles and reconstructed by a computer to show thin layers of the breast.

40% of images, radiology reports requiring follow-up are never reviewed – Radiology Business

Though the combination of PACS and electronic medical records (EMRs) have given ordering providers a chance to look at images and radiology reports themselves, many are still not reviewed, according to a case study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. The researchers recommended an “alert system” that can help ensure studies do not go unread. Or, patients can also choose to participate in a system in which they would receive an alert if the radiologist or the ordering physician has not reviewed the images or report.

Radiologists and radiographers are sharing more reporting responsibilities – Everything Rad

Richard Evans, Chief Executive Officer of The Society and College of Radiographers (SoR) in the UK, explains the impact of Radiologists and Radiographers sharing responsibility for reporting.

Physicians largely ignore CDS implemented to reduce unnecessary imaging – Radiology Business

The authors of a recently published study in Academic Radiology developed a clinical decision support (CDS) algorithm to help physicians reduce overutilized imaging examinations in the emergency department. However, the physicians consistently disregarded its recommendations, reducing its impact. The authors noted that they worked closely with the physicians before the study began and even formed a “rapid response team” to address any concerns. Nevertheless, physicians still largely ignored the system’s recommendations.

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