Canadian researchers are developing a patient-reported assessment tool designed for diagnostic imaging, according to a paper published March 26 in Academic Radiology.
The instrument is called CLARITY (Clinical and Life-impact Assessment of RadiologY) and will allow clinicians to "compare diagnostic strategies on patient-relevant endpoints," wrote a team led by Rakhshan Kamran, MD, DPhil, of the University of Toronto.
"CLARITY [will address] a critical gap in radiology by providing the first patient-reported outcome measure specifically designed to evaluate patient-centered outcomes of diagnostic imaging," the group noted. "It [will offer] a robust and practical framework for advancing patient-centered research, quality improvement, and value-based evaluation in radiology."
Radiology is key to disease diagnosis and to determining treatment, but its impact is primarily evaluated via technical and operational values rather than outcomes that matter to patients, Kamran and colleagues explained, writing that "for patients, medical imaging can influence understanding of their condition, diagnostic uncertainty, and confidence in next steps, while also imposing burdens such as preparation, discomfort, claustrophobia, contrast-related effects, and disruption to daily life."
The team plans to develop CLARITY over six phases:
- Systematic review of radiology-relevant, patient-reported outcomes;
- Elicitation of qualitative concept information from adults undergoing imaging;
- Gathering evidence-informed feedback;
- Confirming the validity of patient-generated content through expert review and patient interviews;
- Performing prospective field testing; and
- Performing psychometric validation (cognitive abilities, behaviors, and motivations).
The tool will consist of two components: CLARITY-Core, a pre/post patient-reported outcome module that will assess any changes in patients with regard to their understanding, uncertainty, and confidence following imaging and communication of exam results; and CLARITY-Impact, a post-results module that will evaluate patients' perception of the diagnostic contribution imaging offers, any imaging-related burdens, and patients' appraisal of the benefit/burden of imaging.
The tool will be offered to patients through a free mobile and web application, the authors wrote. Psychometric evaluation will assess CLARITY's structural soundness, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, responsiveness, and interpretability, they explained.
"By capturing outcomes that matter to patients, CLARITY [will provide] a framework for evaluating radiology in a manner that is clinically meaningful, methodologically rigorous, and aligned with contemporary expectations for patient-centered care," the group concluded.
Access the full study details here.
