Closing the loop on incidental imaging findings

The low completion rate for follow-up recommendations on incidental findings detected on imaging exams has long been a thorny challenge in radiology. In an effort to tackle this problem and increase the percentage of patients who adhere to follow-up imaging recommendations, researchers have identified the factors that influence noncompletion rates and have turned to techniques such as AI and commercial software applications to help close the loop.For example, a group from the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY, recently shared results from using their Backstop recommendation tracking system to directly notify patients of incidental imaging findings that need to be acted on.Ryan Loftus, MD, of NYU Langone Medical Center."Anywhere from 28 to 77% of incidental findings actually get followed up on," explained corresponding author Ryan Loftus, MD, in an interview with AuntMinnie.com. "So if you look at the middle, that's about 50% or half of all findings don't get followed up on, and these are cases where you can catch a disease in its early stages."In their study published October 9 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, the researchers sought to assess the efficacy of Act 112, Pennsylvania's Patient Test Results Information Act that became effective December 23, 2018. Loftus, now an NYU Langone Medical Center neuroradiology fellow, and colleagues found that early notification in compliance with this law may not have a positive impact on improving rat...

Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - October 14, 2023 Category: Radiology Authors: Liz Carey Tags: SENL Source Type: news