Process improvement for follow-up radiology report recommendations of lung nodules.

In the modern healthcare system, there are still wide gaps of communication of imaging results to physician and patient stakeholders and tracking of whether follow-up has occurred. Patients are also unaware of the significance of findings in radiology reports. With the increase in use of cross-sectional imaging such as CT, patients are not only being diagnosed with primary urgent findings but also with incidental findings such as lung nodules; however, they are not being told of their imaging findings nor what actions to take to mitigate their risks. In addition, patients at high risk for developing lung cancer often obtain serial CT scans, but tracking these patients is challenging for the clinician. In order to advance quality improvement goals and improve patient outcomes, we developed a custom application and business process for radiology practitioners that mines available healthcare data, identifies patients with lung nodules in need of follow-up imaging, notifies the patient and the primary care physician via mail, and measures process efficacy via executed follow-up screenings and captured patient condition. This integrated analytics and communication process increased our average rate of patient follow-ups for lung nodules from 26.50 in 2015 to 59.72% in 2017. 17.18% of these patients had new lung nodules or worsening severity of lung findings detected at follow-up. This new process has added missing quality and care coordination to an at-risk patient population. Problem: Communication of imaging results and follow-up recommendations to patients and primary care providers (PCPs) is a challenge for healthcare systems. In addition, tracking whether a patient's follow-up has been completed is another significant gap in care coordination. Patients are often unaware of or cannot even understand the significance of radiology findings or follow-up recommendations reported after imaging procedures. In addition, patients may not have a primary physician listed at time of imaging if the first encounter is in the emergency room (ER) or if their primary care physician or specialist works in a different electronic health record platform. Communication of imaging results to different healthcare providers is challenging with the myriad of existing electronic health record systems that often lack interoperability with other clinical entities.Description of lung nodules in radiology reports can vary widely if a standardised lexicon is not used. Moreover, follow-up recommendations by radiologists can be varied for certain size lung nodules because an individual's risk factors to develop lung cancer may not be known at the time of dictation.Approximately 500 000 radiology imaging procedures are interpreted and performed annually by a single private group of 33 radiologists located at a 665-bed regional referral centre and at a 140-bed acute care community hospital, both located in the suburbs of a major metropolitan city. Management of this volume of patients in the health system can be overwhelming to nurse navigators, and there is usually no system in place for primary care physicians to follow-up lung nodules found unexpectedly on inpatient images. The goal of this project was to develop a better automated tracking method and communication tool to reduce the likelihood that needed follow-up studies are missed by patients and clinicians.

Repair of left ventricular aneurysm with acellular dermis graft: A case report.

We report the use of a novel graft material in cardiac surgery, acellular human dermis graft, to repair a left ventricular aneurysm in a patient undergoing surgical ventricular restoration. We also describe the postoperative magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of the dermis graft. We conclude that acellular dermis graft has material handling properties that allow it to be used in left ventricular aneurysm repair. On magnetic resonance imaging, there is no gadolinium enhancement of the graft and the graft is akinetic.

Utility of ultrasound and MRI in prenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate transabdominal pelvic ultrasound and MRI for the prenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A historical cohort pilot study was performed at our institution to identify women at risk of placenta accreta who had undergone both prenatal ultrasound and MRI. Findings at ultrasound and MRI were compared with the final diagnosis, which was established with clinical findings at delivery and pathologic examination of specimens. Volume measurements were made of low-signal-intensity intraplacental bands on T2-weighted MR images. Risk factors for placental insufficiency were recorded. RESULTS: Thirteen patients at risk of placenta accreta underwent both sonography and MRI. Nine of these patients had abnormal placentation. With ultrasound, abnormal placentation was correctly identified in six of nine patients (67%) and the absence of accreta in two of four patients (50%). With MRI, abnormal placentation was correctly identified in seven of nine patients (78%) and the absence of accreta in three of four patients (75%). The volumes of low-signal-intensity bands were significantly different in the patients with abnormal placentation and those without placenta accreta (p = 0.047), and band volumes were significantly different among patients with accreta, increta, and percreta (p < 0.0005). CONCLUSION: The accuracy of MRI may improve if volumes of low-signal-intensity bands are calculated, MRI is performed before 30 weeks' gestation, and risk factors for placental insufficiency are recognized.

Adrenocortical Carcinoma: Complete Surgical Resection After 18 Years.

Adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare neoplasm often associated with an aggressive biological behavior. Complete surgical resection is the mainstay of therapy for ACC and offers the best chance for prolonged disease-free survival. We present an unusual case of a long-standing adrenal mass, well documented over a period of at least 18 years, without the development of metastatic disease, and ultimately proven to represent ACC after successful surgical resection. Physicians should be aware that ACC can present with a wide spectrum of biological behavior, from very aggressive to more indolent disease.

Pericardial hemangioma taking origin from the posterior wall of the left atrium.

We present a rare case of a pericardial hemangioma taking origin from the posterior wall of the left atrium and compressing the surrounding structures. Contrast cardiac magnetic resonance imaging preoperatively established the diagnosis, and computed tomographic findings helped in the management of this patient.

The endometrium on routine contrast-enhanced CT in asymptomatic postmenopausal women: avoiding errors in interpretation.

We studied 54 asymptomatic postmenopausal women to characterize normal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) appearance of endometrium. Endometrium was visualized in 26 out of 54 (48.1%) women, and when seen its mean short-axis thickness was 7.5 mm. The anteroposterior thickness varied directly with uterine angulation (P<.05). Endometrial attenuation was significantly less than that of the myometrium (P<.05). Endometrial thickness (short axis) and attenuation were inversely correlated to patient age and to years after menopause (P<.05). We believe that our findings will help prevent overdiagnosis of endometrial fluid or thickening in asymptomatic women.