Computed Tomography Structured Reporting in the Staging of Lymphoma: A Delphi Consensus Proposal

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Informatics
• Oncology

Background:

• Structured reporting (SR) is increasingly vital in radiology, endorsed by major scientific societies.
• Effective communication of imaging findings is critical for patient management and treatment decisions.
• Current radiology reports can sometimes lack standardization, leading to ambiguity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop structured CT-based reports for lymphoma staging.
• To enhance communication among radiologists, multidisciplinary teams, and patients.
• To improve the clarity and consistency of radiological information for clinical decision-making and research.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi process involving expert radiologists from the Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology (SIRM).
• Development and iterative refinement of a structured report (SR) with 62 items across four sections: Patient Clinical Data, Clinical Evaluation, Imaging Protocol, and Report.
• Quality analysis using Cronbach's alpha (Cα) to assess internal consistency and inter-item correlation.

Main Results:

• The SR was finalized after two Delphi rounds, achieving high expert ratings (≥3 in round 1, ≥4 in round 2).
• High internal consistency was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha (0.89 in round 1, 0.87 in round 2).
• Expert agreement and report quality improved significantly in the second Delphi round, indicated by higher mean scores and lower standard deviation.

Conclusions:

• The developed structured CT report for lymphoma staging is a consensus-based tool designed for standardized terminology and structure.
• This SR aims to reduce ambiguity, facilitate clinical trial enrollment, and improve communication between healthcare professionals.
• The structured format supports accurate data dissemination, crucial for patient care and future research endeavors.