Effect of standardized reporting template on turnaround times of on-call radiology residents' preliminary interpretation of spinal cord or cauda equina compression.

PURPOSE: Prompt and accurate diagnosis of spinal cord compression (SCC) or cauda equina compression (CEC) is of great clinical importance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a standardized reporting template (SRT) on report turnaround time (RTAT) and performance of on-call radiology residents’ preliminary interpretation (PI) for the detection of SCC/CEC on after-hour spine MRI studies. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a total of 266 spine MRI studies performed after hours for SCC/CEC, before and after the implementation of a SRT to be used by on-call radiology residents. The RTAT and accuracy of on-call radiology residents’ PI were compared between pre- and post-SRT implementation groups. RTAT was defined as the time between the last image acquired by the MRI scanner, and time at which the PI was entered by the resident. Accuracy of the resident’s PI was determined using clinically significant difference between the PI and the final Neuroradiology Attending interpretation (often issued the following day). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant reduction in RTAT for PI of spine MRI studies for SCC/CEC after implementation of a SRT, from 54 min pre-SRT to 47 min post-SRT (p = 0.032). A 75-min or longer PI turnaround time was significantly more often seen pre-SRT than post-SRT (48/133 vs 31/133, 36% vs 23%, p = 0.023). Radiology residents’ high accuracy for detection of SCC/CEC remained unchanged after implementation of SRT. The most common cause of SCC/CEC was degenerative disease. CONCLUSION: A structured reporting template allows quicker RTAT and reduces the frequency of long delays in on-call radiology residents’ preliminary interpretation of MRIs performed for SCC/CEC while maintaining high accuracy.