Time Is Spine: A Novel Radiology Reporting System for Optimizing Spine Oncology Decision-Making and Reducing Time to...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiology
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Spinal metastases pose risks of instability and cord compression, necessitating prompt diagnosis and intervention.
• Effective communication between radiologists and treatment teams is crucial for timely patient care.
• Current workflows may delay critical treatment for patients with spinal metastases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel dictation macro and automated notification system for spine oncology imaging.
• To accelerate spine oncology referrals and enhance care delivery for patients with spinal metastases.
• To reduce the time from diagnosis to treatment for spinal metastasis patients.

Main Methods:

• A spine MRI dictation macro was created, integrating the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) and Epidural Spinal Cord Compression scale into a Spine Oncology Imaging Score (SOIS).
• Automated email notifications were sent to a multidisciplinary spine oncology team upon report finalization using the macro.
• A Cox proportional hazards model compared the time to follow-up visits and treatment for patients with and without macro use.

Main Results:

• The study included 274 outpatients using the macro and 152 not using it between April 2021 and February 2023.
• Patients using the macro showed higher treatment rates (56.2% vs. 38.2%) and faster access to care.
• After controlling for confounding factors, macro use was significantly associated with earlier spine oncology visits (P = .004) and treatment (P = .03).

Conclusions:

• Implementing a structured spine oncology dictation macro with an automated notification system significantly reduced consultation and treatment times for spinal metastasis patients.
• This integrated approach enhances clinical workflow and expedites decision-making in oncology care.
• Structured reporting tools and efficient notification systems are vital for improving patient outcomes in spinal oncology.