Supriya Gupta MBBS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yulia Melenevsky MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Learning to create accurate, concise, clinically relevant reports is a critically important part of radiology resident education. The resident reports are subsequently reviewed and modified by attending prior to signing. Feedback from this review is crucial to resident development and education. We wanted to assess differences between resident and attending reports at our institution and various factors which influence it. 

In this ongoing retrospective study, 145 resident and corresponding final attending reports from musculoskeletal radiology were collected. For resident reports, postgraduation training year and work setting (call vs regular workday) and for attending reports, experience of attending (<5 years – Junior, >5 years – Senior) were recorded. Report differences were analyzed broadly under three categories: grammatical or spelling mistake changes, misinterpretation of findings and missed findings. Chi square test was used to assess variance in degree of report changes in senior versus junior categories.

Of current data, 145 musculoskeletal radiographic reports were analyzed. Overall, only 6 reports had major grammatical changes or spelling mistakes. 18/145 (12.4%) contained missed finding (incidental or significant) while 29/145 (20%) had misinterpreted findings. 52 (35.8%) reports were read by senior staff radiologists and 93(64/13%) by junior staff. Among reports signed by Senior attendings, most final report changes were deemed either none (59.6%) or minor (28.8%) versus major (11.5%); whilst for reports read by Junior staff radiologists, distribution was none (50.5%), minor (22.5%) versus major (26.88%). The degree of changes between senior and junior attending reports were statistically significant (p<0.001). 

Preliminary data showed significant difference between report modifications between junior and senior attendings for the same resident report. Junior attendings tend to modify reports more, compared to more experienced colleagues. This is intuitive since experience increases diagnostic confidence of radiologists and this is reflected in not only their dictation styles but also in their teaching styles.

Analysis of residnt reports compared to final attending reports can provide valuable quality metrics for augmenting resident feedback and education.It can aslo provide insight into practice behavior and teaching styles of attending radiologists.

Gupta, S, Melenevsky, Y, Does Resident Report Modification Depend on Level of Attending? - Preliminary Analysis of Resident Report Modifications by Attending Radiologists as a Measure to Improve Resident Education and Quality Control.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14010807.html