Many imaging studies have nonurgent -- but potentially important -- incidental findings that require additional workup, such as a small lung nodule that might grow into a large cancer if not addressed at an early stage. However, follow-ups recommended by radiologists in their dictated reports are not always completed, said presenter Dr. Jaimee Mannix of Boston Medical Center.
As a result, the researchers decided to implement a home-grown system that would help remind providers of these incidental findings that were overdue for further evaluation. After searching their RIS for keywords in reports that indicated a specific radiologist recommendation for follow-up, they reviewed the EMR to determine if the follow-up had been completed. If it hadn't, a reminder email was sent to the ordering provider.
"We quickly realized that this reminder system resulted in the completion of workups that may not have otherwise been performed, resulting in improved patient care," Mannix told AuntMinnie.com. "So we decided to formally study the system in order to share the results with others, in the hope that additional patients would ultimately benefit."
They found that it reduced the number of incomplete follow-ups from 29.3% to 16%. It also resulted in nine clinically important diagnoses among the 199 patients for whom reminders were sent to providers.
The study findings show that a dedicated notification system for overdue recommendations significantly improves the rate of completed follow-ups, Mannix noted.
"Secondly, a very large number of clinically important diagnoses can be the discovered each year as a direct result of this notification system, which presents an incredible opportunity for improving patient safety," she said.
