Audit of Changes in Neuroradiology On-Call Practices
Author Information
Author(s): Nitin Mukerji, Dorothy Wallace, Dipayan Mitra
Primary Institution: Newcastle General Hospital
Hypothesis
Did changing the on-call practices in neuroradiology affect the departmental workload?
Conclusion
The increase in CT scans for head injuries reflects a general change in practice in management of head injuries in the UK.
Supporting Evidence
- CT scans requested from A&E increased by 73.4% after the change in practice.
- Requests for head injury scans from A&E increased by 122%.
- The audit revealed a significant increase in CT scans for head injuries.
Takeaway
The way doctors handle requests for brain scans changed, and now more scans are being done, especially for head injuries.
Methodology
Data was collected from on-call booklets and log books over six months, comparing periods before and after the change in practice.
Potential Biases
The change in practice may have led to more scans being accepted due to less clinical judgment from neuroradiographers compared to neuroradiologists.
Limitations
The study lacked power to achieve statistical significance.
Participant Demographics
The study involved neuroradiographers and the A&E department at Newcastle General Hospital.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.17
Confidence Interval
95% CI of difference of mean -520 to +952
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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