The effect of clinical information on radiology reporting: A systematic review

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of clinical information on the accuracy, timeliness, reporting confidence and clinical relevance of the radiology report.

A systematic review of studies that investigated a link between primary communication of clinical information to the radiologist and the resultant report was conducted. Relevant studies were identified by a comprehensive search of electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus and EMBASE). Studies were screened using pre-defined criteria. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Quasi-Experimental Studies. Synthesis of findings was narrative. Results were reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

There were 21 studies which met the inclusion criteria, of which 20 were included in our review following quality assessment. Sixteen studies investigated the effect of clinical information on reporting accuracy, three studies investigated the effect of clinical information on reporting confidence, three studies explored the impact of clinical information on clinical relevance, and two studies investigated the impact of clinical information on reporting timeliness. Some studies explored multiple outcomes. Studies concluded that clinical information improved interpretation accuracy, clinical relevance and reporting confidence; however, reporting time was not substantially affected by the addition of clinical information.

The findings of this review suggest clinical information has a positive impact on the radiology report. It is in the best interests of radiologists to communicate the importance of clinical information to reporting via the creation of criteria standards to guide the requesting practices of medical imaging referrers. Further work is recommended to establish these criteria standards.