Table 3.
Data analysis grouped according to answers to question #9 of the survey
| Questions | Answers | Use TIRADS | Do not use TIRADS | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. How old are you? | 38 (30-50) | 45 (32-55) | 0.047 | |
| 2. What is your gender? | Male | 33 (62%) | 45 (43%) | < 0.03 |
| Female | 20 (38%) | 61 (58%) | ||
| 3. What is your specialty? | Radiology | 33 (63%) | 40 (38%) | < 0.01 |
| Other | 19 (37%) | 66 (62%) | ||
| 4. Where do you work? | University Clinical Hospital | 23 (43%) | 24 (23%) | 0.02 |
| District General Hospitals | 14 (26%) | 33 (31%) | ||
| Private Practice/Basic Health Care/Specialist Outpatient Clinic | 16 (30%) | 49 (46%) | ||
| 5. Do you perform/assist with thyroid FNAB? | Yes | 22 (42%) | 20 (19%) | < 0.01 |
| No | 31 (58%) | 86 (81%) | ||
| 6. Are ultrasound examinations your primary professional activity? | Yes | 33 (62%) | 24 (23%) | < 0.01 |
| No | 20 (38%) | 82 (77%) | ||
| 7. How many thyroid ultrasound examinations do you perform per year? | < 100 examinations | 15 (28%) | 41 (39%) | < 0.01 |
| > 100 examinations | 37 (70%) | 29 (27%) | ||
| I do not use US | 1 (2%) | 36 (34%) | ||
| 9. What TIRADS classification are you using? | American College of Radiology: ACR-TIRADS | 26 (49%) | ||
| European Thyroid Association: EU-TIRADS | 27 (51%) | |||
| I do not use TIRADS | 49 (46%) | |||
| I do not know TIRADS | 57 (54%) | |||
| 10. What is the purpose of the TIRADS classifications in your opinion? | To create an understandable US description for referral | 36 (68%) | 43 (41%) | < 0.01 |
| To predict changes in the thyroid gland during FNAB | 47 (89%) | 62 (58%) | ||
| To increase detection of thyroid cancers | 19 (36%) | 48 (45%) | ||
| To optimize FNAB costs | 27 (51%) | 16 (15%) | ||
| To optimize follow-up examination costs | 19 (36%) | 12 (11%) | ||
| To standardize US descriptions | 43 (81%) | 58 (55%) | ||
| I do not know | 0 (0%) | 6 (6%) | ||
| 11. What image features are included in the TIRADS classifications? | Composition of lesion (solid, cystic, etc.) | 53 (100%) | 80 (75%) | < 0.01 |
| Size of lesion | 30 (57%) | 55 (52%) | ||
| Echogenicity of lesion | 50 (94%) | 68 (64%) | ||
| Vascularity of lesion | 15 (28%) | 49 (46%) | ||
| Margin of lesion | 49 (92%) | 57 (54%) | ||
| Shape of lesion (proportions of dimensions) | 50 (94%) | 60 (57%) | ||
| Calcifications | 49 (92%) | 66 (62%) | ||
| Presence of colloidal crystals | 16 (30%) | 16 (15%) | ||
| Enhancement after administration of ultrasound contrast agent | 0 (0%) | 4 (4%) | ||
| I do not know | 0 (0%) | 13 (12%) |
FNAB – fine-needle aspiration biopsy, TIRADS – Thyroid Imaging Reporting & Data System, US – ultrasonography