Stephen John Golding MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Philip Webster, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Adrian Kendal Dixon MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To evaluate the impact of a national clinical governance programme on standards of reporting in MRI.

Annual clinical audit was applied to a national programme of cranial, spinal and musculoskeletal MRI over a three year period. Randomly selected MR examinations were separately scored by experienced independent observers for technical merit, reporting language and quality of clinical opinion using a five-point marking scale (5 excellent) Findings were fed back to the providers, with recommendations, during the first two years. The first audit also compared performance with that of an academic hospital.

There was a uniform, progressive rise in performance scores over three years. In most cases the rise exceeded 20% and in the third year scores reached near maximum for reporting language (overall mean 3.88 to 4.81) and clinical opinion (mean 3.79 to 4.76). Technical evaluation scores improved to a smaller degree (mean 3.69 to 4.12). Scores conformed to those of academic centres in Year 3.

Regular, robust, clinical audit has a substantial performance-enhancing impact on the quality of MR examinations and the language and clinical opinion provided in the report.

The benefit of formal audit to performance improvement in Radiology is demonstrated.

Golding, S, Webster, P, Dixon, A, Performance Improvement in Reporting MRI: The Positive Impact of a National Clinical Audit Programme.  Radiological Society of North America 2009 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 29 - December 4, 2009 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2009/8012678.html