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Routine editing of trainee-generated radiology reports: effect on style quality
Fergus V Coakley1, Stefan B Heinze, Clair L Shadbolt
1Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
Academic Radiology
|March 20, 2003
Summary
Routine editing significantly enhances the style quality of trainee radiology reports. This improvement in clarity, brevity, and readability suggests a need for greater focus on reporting style during training.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Education
Background:
- Trainee-generated radiology reports are crucial for patient care.
- Ensuring high-quality reporting is essential for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of routine editing on the stylistic quality of radiology reports written by trainees.
- To assess if editing improves clarity, brevity, readability, and impression quality.
Main Methods:
- 50 trainee-generated body CT scan reports were randomly selected.
- Reports were either unedited or routinely edited by attending radiologists.
- Physicians and radiologists rated 100 reports (edited and unedited) on a five-point scale for style aspects.
Main Results:
- Editing significantly improved mean ratings for clarity (4.6 vs 4.2, P < .007).
- Editing significantly improved mean ratings for brevity (4.6 vs 4.2, P < .007).
- Editing significantly improved mean ratings for readability (4.4 vs 4.1, P < .007) and impression quality (4.5 vs 4.3, P < .007).
Conclusions:
- Routine editing substantially enhances the perceived quality of trainee radiology reports.
- Increased emphasis on reporting style during training is recommended to improve initial dictation quality.