Patient Recall Imaging in the Ambulatory Setting

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Patient recalls for repeat radiology examinations represent an adverse event.
• Understanding the frequency and causes of these recalls is crucial for improving healthcare quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the rate of patient recalls for all outpatient imaging at an institution.
• To identify and characterize the primary reasons behind these recall events.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review was conducted on repeat imaging requests due to inadequate initial studies.
• Data was collected for studies performed between January 2012 and March 2015.

Main Results:

• A total of 100 recalls were identified, with a recall rate of approximately 1 in 8046 ambulatory studies and 1 in 1684 MRI studies.
• The majority of recalls (95%) were for MRI studies, with incomplete examinations (24%) and inadequate coverage (22%) being the most frequent causes.
• Protocoling errors (20%) and poor image quality (15%) also contributed significantly to recall requests.

Conclusions:

• Patient recalls for outpatient imaging are infrequent.
• MRI studies are disproportionately affected by recalls.
• Improving technologist education and interdisciplinary communication may reduce the incidence of repeat ambulatory imaging.