Initial Referring Physician and Radiologist Experience with Neck Imaging Reporting and Data System.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Oncology
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Head and neck cancer surveillance requires standardized imaging reports.
• Existing reporting methods may lack consistency and clarity.
• The Neck Imaging Reporting and Data System (NI-RADS) was developed to address these needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the initial experience and impact of implementing the NI-RADS for head and neck cancer surveillance CT.
• To gather perspectives from both head and neck cancer providers and radiologists on NI-RADS utilization.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement initiative implemented NI-RADS for surveillance CT reporting.
• Surveys were administered to referring physicians and radiologists before and after NI-RADS adoption.
• NI-RADS utilization rates were tracked over a 3-month period post-implementation.

Main Results:

• High agreement among providers (100%) and radiologists (88%) on the utility and clarity of NI-RADS.
• Referring physicians found NI-RADS reports helpful for clinical management.
• Radiologist adoption of NI-RADS increased from 46% to 72% within 3 months.

Conclusions:

• NI-RADS is largely preferred by both referring physicians and radiologists.
• NI-RADS improves the clarity, understandability, and consistency of head and neck cancer surveillance CT reports.
• The system effectively aids in guiding clinical management and demonstrates increasing adoption over time.