Process improvement for reducing side discrepancies in radiology reports

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging and Radiology
• Quality Improvement in Healthcare
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Laterality errors in radiology reports pose significant risks for patient management.
• Accurate side labeling is crucial for correct diagnosis and treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To decrease side discrepancies in thoracic imaging reports by 50% within six months.
• To implement educational interventions and voice recognition tools to improve report accuracy.

Main Methods:

• A baseline audit of radiology reports identified side-discrepancy error rates.
• Radiologists received education on common side-related errors.
• Voice recognition software was configured to automatically capitalize side indicators (RIGHT/LEFT).
• Plan-Design-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were employed to implement and evaluate interventions.

Main Results:

• The initial error rate was 33 side-discrepancy errors in 47,876 reports (average 2.5 errors/week).
• Following initial education (PDSA #1), errors decreased to seven over two weeks.
• Post-implementation of voice recognition software (PDSA #2), errors further reduced to an average of 0.85 per week.

Conclusions:

• Automated processes, like capitalizing sides, substantially reduce left/right errors in radiology reports.
• These technological solutions improve accuracy without negatively affecting reporting turnaround times.