Anusuya Anant Mokashi MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

David S. Hirschorn MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Iakovos Koutras MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Mary Margaret Salvatore MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

An integrated web-based resident report evaluation form can provide data vital to improving resident education and ensuring proper patient care.

Integral to training in a radiology resident is the dictating of preliminary reports. These reports are subsequently reviewed, edited and signed by an attending radiologist. Feedback from this review is crucial to resident development and education. Usually the feedback is face to face, with the resident seated next to the attending during the review. However this is often not possible due to workload or scheduling constraints. In these instances the resident simply reads the edited version of the report and tries to deduce what corrections were made, which is time consuming and requires the resident to recall the preliminary version. We sought to devise a system that would formalize this feedback process and provide data which can be analyzed.

We created a web-based system which is integrated into our dictation system via desktop macro software. During the review process, the attending clicks on a macro button which launches the evaluation form in a web browser (see attached figure). The form collects information about what types of errors were made, including spelling or grammar, misinterpretation of findings and missed findings. The conspicuity of the missed finding is also recorded. For all errors the degree of clinical impact and chronicity (immediate vs long term) is also recorded, along with comments. Residents can review these evaluations soon afterward within a web page that flags in red the lines of the final report that differ from those of the preliminary one.  

The collection of this data benefits the residents, the residency program director and the quality improvement efforts of the hospital. It allows the residents to get immediate feedback about not only what their mistakes were, but also their significance. It allows the residency program director to identify which residents need more help, and about which topics the residents as a group need more education. It also enables quality improvement personnel to quickly identify where errors were made and ensure that proper follow up occurred.

Mokashi, A, Hirschorn, D, Koutras, I, Salvatore, M, Improving Resident Report Evaluation by Web-based Integration into the Attending Signoff Process.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11004313.html