Positron emission tomography/computed tomography exam request form under review. Is it effective?

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiology
• Oncology

Background:

• Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) is a valuable diagnostic tool.
• Appropriate utilization is crucial to optimize resource allocation and minimize patient exposure to radiation.
• Analysis of rejected requests can identify patterns and inform best practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze rejected PET/CT request forms.
• To determine the primary clinical questions driving these requests.
• To assess the impact of not performing PET/CT on patient management.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of cancelled PET/CT request forms from January 2007 to June 2011.
• Classification of requests based on the primary question.
• Follow-up of patient clinical evolution for 6 months post-request.

Main Results:

• A total of 177 PET/CT requests were rejected for various reasons, including patient clinical status, referring physician requests, patient requests, and nuclear medicine physician criteria.
• The most common indications for rejected scans were evaluation of pulmonary and bone lesions.
• Rejection of PET/CT studies did not adversely affect the natural disease progression of patients.

Conclusions:

• The rejection process for PET/CT scans is effective in preventing unnecessary examinations.
• This approach leads to reduced healthcare expenses and radiation exposure.
• Patient management and disease outcomes were not compromised by avoiding these scans.