Recommendations for additional magnetic resonance imaging in abdominal computed tomography.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging Analysis
• Clinical Decision Support

Background:

• Radiologic image reporting is crucial for physician communication.
• Abdominal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are key diagnostic modalities.
• Evaluating the impact of specific report elements on clinical workflow is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of recommendations for additional imaging (RAIs) following abdominal CT.
• To determine if RAIs influence the utilization of subsequent abdominal MR imaging.
• To analyze factors influencing RAI effectiveness, such as wording and placement.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of data from a tertiary medical referral center's radiology information system (RIS).
• Identification of associations between abdominal CT and subsequent abdominal MR examinations.
• Evaluation of RAI presence, wording, and location in abdominal CT reports.

Main Results:

• Abdominal CT reports with RAIs led to a subsequent abdominal MR examination within 120 days in 36.7% of cases, versus 4.0% without RAIs.
• RAIs were associated with a shorter time interval between CT and MR examinations (29.0 days vs. 39.0 days).
• Recommendations emphasizing further evaluation, placed in both the context and conclusion, were most effective.

Conclusions:

• Recommendations for additional imaging (RAIs) significantly influence clinical decisions and subsequent imaging utilization.
• Radiologists should exercise care and precision when formulating RAIs in radiology reports.
• Optimizing RAI wording and placement can enhance their impact on patient care pathways.