- AI
- Molecular Imaging
- CT
- X-Ray
- Ultrasound
- MRI
- Facility Management
- Mammography
Appropriate Use Criterion May Reduce Unnecessary Imaging in Renal Colic
Appropriate Use Criterion May Reduce Unnecessary Imaging in Renal Colic
Appropriate use criterion (AUC) based on local best practice as electronic clinical decision support (CDS) may help reduce overuse of imaging among patients with suspected nephrolithiasis, according to a study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, performed a retrospective study to evaluate the impact of AUC for patients with renal colic who presented at the emergency room, based on local best practice. The researchers developed and implemented their own appropriate use criteria covering CT for this patient group. Patients were from a level I trauma center (the study site) or a local comparable hospital (the control site)
A total of 467 patients (194 from the study site) before AUC implementation and 306 (88 from the study site) after AUC implementation were included in the study. A team comprising physicians from emergency medicine, emergency radiology, and urology developed an AUC for patients younger than 50 years with a history of uncomplicated nephrolithiasis presenting with renal colic. There was no CDS alert for AUC-consistent CT of ureter requests, while the researchers were alerted to consider a trial of symptomatic control or discharge without CT.
Related article: Why Radiologists Should Care About Clinical Decision Support
A natural language processing tool mined ED notes for visits before AUC implementation (September 2010 to February 2012) and one year after AUC implementation (April 2013 to September 2014) for concept unique identifiers of flank tenderness or renal or ureteral pain.
The results showed that after implementation of the AUC, the study site's CT of ureter rate decreased from 23.7% (46/194 patients) to 14.8% (13/88 patients) but the rate at the control site remained unchanged, 49.8% (136/273 patients) versus 48.2% (105/218 patients).
The researchers concluded that by implementing an AUC based on local best practice as CDS, physicians may effectively reduce overuse of imaging among a subset of ED patients with renal colic who were not likely to have a complicated course or alternative dangerous diagnosis.
The Reading Room: Artificial Intelligence: What RSNA 2020 Offered, and What 2021 Could Bring
December 5th 2020Nina Kottler, M.D., chief medical officer of AI at Radiology Partners, discusses, during RSNA 2020, what new developments the annual meeting provided about these technologies, sessions to access, and what to expect in the coming year.
A Victory for Radiology: New CMS Proposal Would Provide Coverage of CT Colonography in 2025
July 12th 2024In newly issued proposals addressing changes to coverage for Medicare services in 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its intent to provide coverage of computed tomography colonography (CTC) for Medicare beneficiaries in 2025.
Study: Use of Preoperative MRI 46 Percent Less Likely for Black Women with Breast Cancer
July 11th 2024In the study of over 1,400 women with breast cancer, researchers noted that Black women with dense breasts or lobular histology were significantly less likely to have preoperative MRI exams than White women with the same clinical characteristics.
