Review article: methodological standards in radiographer plain film reading performance studies

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging Quality
• Radiographer Performance

Background:

• Radiographer plain-film reading performance studies are essential for informing radiographic reporting policy.
• Assessing the quality of these studies requires adherence to established methodological standards.
• Previous reviews have highlighted variability in the quality of such research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To increase awareness of methodological standards impacting radiographer plain-film reading performance studies.
• To evaluate the frequency of adherence to these critical methodological standards.
• To underscore the importance of methodological quality for evidence-based policy.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search identified 30 radiographer plain-film reading performance studies published between 1971 and 1999.
• Ten key methodological standards were defined and assessed for their fulfillment in the selected studies.
• Quantitative analysis was performed to determine the percentage of studies meeting each standard.

Main Results:

• High adherence was observed for defining normal/abnormal reports (97%) and describing film passage (94%).
• Significant deficiencies were noted in sample size calculation (3%), appropriate use of controls (22%), and analysis of clinical subgroups (44%).
• Adherence varied widely across the ten methodological standards, with only a few studies meeting all criteria.

Conclusions:

• There is considerable variation in the application of methodological standards in radiographer film-reading performance studies.
• Improving adherence to these standards is essential for enhancing study quality and the validity of the evidence base.
• Rigorous methodological application is fundamental for developing reliable radiographic reporting policies.