Overnight attending radiologist coverage decreases imaging-related emergency department recalls by at least 90%

ConclusionOvernight final reporting significantly decreases ED recalls for patients receiving diagnostic imaging overnight. While numbers are low even prior to rollout, the number should be minimized wherever possible to diminish patient anxiety and discomfort, reduce ED overcrowding and expedite definitive management.Key messages/what this paper addsSection 1: What is already known on this subject• Radiology resident preliminary report discrepancy rates are low.• Overnight attending radiologist coverage is a model increasingly applied in academic and large non-academic centers.• Patient recalls to the ED are a burden to the patient and impact patient throughput in (over)crowded EDs.Section 2: What this study adds• First study to look at the impact of overnight attending final reports on the recall rate for ED patients with overnight imaging performed.• While absolute numbers are low, there is a significant decrease in patients returning to ED for imaging related issues after introducing overnight attending coverage.• Resident autonomy can be preserved and training enhanced while increasing patient safety and comfort

Source: Emergency Radiology - January 11, 2021 Category: Emergency Medicine Source Type: research