Table 1.
List of questions and answers in the online survey
| Question | Type of answer | Total number of answers | Unit of measure | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. How old are you? | Open | 159 | Years | Median 41 years (32-55 years, 25th-75th percentile) |
| 2. What is your gender? | Closed | 159 | Number of answers per gender | Male: 78/159 (49.1%) Female: 81/159 (50.9%) |
| 3. What is your specialty? | Closed | 158 | Number of answers per specialty | Radiology: 73/158 (46.2%) Other: 85/158 (53.8%) |
| 4. Where do you work? | Closed | 159 | Number of answers per workplace | University Clinical Hospital: 47/159 (29.6%) District General Hospitals: 47/159 (29.6%) Private Practice/Basic Health Care/Specialist Outpatient Clinic: 65/159 (40.9%) |
| 5. Do you perform/assist with thyroid FNAB? | Closed | 159 | Number of answers | Yes: 42/159 (26.4%) No: 117/159 (73.6%) |
| 6. Are ultrasound examinations your primary professional activity? | Closed | 159 | Number of answers | Yes: 57/159 (35.6%) No: 102/159 (64.2%) |
| 7. How many thyroid ultrasound examinations do you perform per year? | Closed | 159 | Number of answers per category | < 100 examinations: 56/159 (35.2%) > 100 examinations: 66/159 (41.5%) I do not use US: 37/159 (23.3%) |
| 8. Are you familiar with the TIRADS classification? | Closed | 159 | Number of answers | Yes: 99/159 (62.3%) No: 60/159 (37.7%) |
| 9. What TIRADS classification are you using? | Closed | 159 | Number of answers per classification | American College of Radiology: ACR-TIRADS: 26/159 (16.4%) European Thyroid Association: EU-TIRADS: 27 (17.0%) I do not use TIRADS: 49 (30.8%) I do not know TIRADS: 57 (35.8%) |
| 10. What is the purpose of the TIRADS classifications in your opinion? | Closed | 436 | Number of answers per purpose | To create an understandable US description for referral: 79/436 (18.1%) To predict changes in the thyroid gland during FNAB: 109/436 (25.0%) To increase detection of thyroid cancers: 67/436 (15.4%) To optimize FNAB costs: 43/436 (9.9%) To optimize follow-up examination costs: 31/436 (7.1%) To standardize US descriptions: 101/436 (23.2%) I do not know: 6/436 (1.4%) |
| 11. What image features are included in the TIRADS classifications? | Closed | 780 | Number of answers per feature | Composition of lesion (solid, cystic, etc.): 133/780 (17.1%) Size of lesion: 85/780 (10.9%) Echogenicity of lesion: 118/780 (15.1%) Vascularity of lesion: 64/780 (8.2%) Margin of lesion: 106/780 (13.6%) Shape of lesion (proportions of dimensions): 110/780 (14.1%) Calcifications: 115/780 (14.7%) Presence of colloidal crystals: 32/780 (4.1%) Enhancement after administration of ultrasound contrast agent: 4/780 (0.5%) I do not know: 13/780 (1.7%) |
FNAB – fine-needle aspiration biopsy, TIRADS – Thyroid Imaging Reporting & Data System, US – ultrasonography