An audit of imaging test utilization for the management of lymphoma in an oncology hospital: implications for resource planning?
| Autor: | Korosh Khalili, A Keller, Richard W. Tsang, M K Gospodarowicz, Amanda Schwartz, M Pintilie, S Goddard |
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| Rok vydání: | 2006 |
| Předmět: |
Oncology
Adult Diagnostic Imaging Male medicine.medical_specialty Adolescent Lymphoma Radiography Resource planning Audit Cancer Care Facilities Asymptomatic Patient Care Planning Internal medicine medicine Humans Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging Practice Patterns Physicians' Child Referral and Consultation Aged Retrospective Studies Aged 80 and over Ontario Medical Audit business.industry Ultrasound Retrospective cohort study General Medicine Middle Aged medicine.disease Female Radiology Tomography medicine.symptom Nuclear medicine business Tomography X-Ray Computed |
| Zdroj: | The British journal of radiology. 79(938) |
| ISSN: | 0007-1285 |
| Popis: | The purpose of this study was to assist with resource planning by examining the pattern of physician utilization of imaging procedures for lymphoma patients in a dedicated oncology hospital. The proportion of imaging tests ordered for routine follow up with no specific clinical indication was quantified, with specific attention to CT scans. A 3-month audit was performed. The reasons for ordering all imaging procedures (X-rays, CT scans, ultrasound, nuclear scan and MRI) were determined through a retrospective chart review. 411 lymphoma patients had 686 assessments (sets of imaging tests) and 981 procedures (individual imaging tests). Most procedures were CT scans (52%) and chest radiographs (30%). The most common reasons for ordering imaging were assessing response (23%), and investigating new symptoms (19%). Routine follow up constituted 21% of the assessments (142/686), and of these, 82% were chest radiographs (116/142), while 24% (34/142) were CT scans. With analysis restricted to CT scans (296 assessments in 248 patients), the most common reason for ordering CT scans were response evaluation (40%), and suspicion of recurrence and/or new symptom (23%). Follow-up CT scans done with no clinical indication comprised 8% (25/296) of all CT assessments. Staging CT scans were under-represented at 6% of all assessments. Imaging with CT scans for follow up of asymptomatic patients is infrequent. However, scans done for staging new lymphoma patients were unexpectedly low in frequency, due to scans done elsewhere prior to referral. This analysis uncovered utilization patterns, helped resource planning and provided data to reduce unnecessary imaging procedures. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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