Table 5.
Requested Actions and Associated Median Time to Completion in Patients With and Without Missed Opportunities
| Requested Follow-Up Actions, Procedures, or Consultations | Patients With Type II Missed Opportunities (n = 121) |
Patients Without Missed Opportunities* (n = 365) |
P | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to Completion of Procedure or Consultation or Follow-Up Action Based on the Clue in Type II Patients (days) |
No. | % | ||||||
| Median | Range | IQR | No. | % | ||||
| Follow-up on blood in sputum | 63.0 | 46-279 | 233.0 | 3 | 2.5 | 33 | 9.0 | .01 |
| Follow-up on recurrent bronchitis or pneumonia | 1075 | 1,075.0-1,075.0 | 0 | 1 | 0.8 | 7 | 1.9 | .30 |
| Follow-up on hoarseness lasting > 2 weeks | 58.0 | 48-68 | 20.0 | 2 | 1.6 | 10 | 2.7 | .06 |
| Follow-up on abnormal chest x-ray | 48.0 | 32-548 | 23.0 | 72 | 59.5 | 279 | 76.4 | < .001 |
| Follow-up on abnormal chest CT | 42.5 | 31.0-366.0 | 59.0 | 18 | 14.9 | 314 | 86.0 | < .001 |
| Follow-up on abnormal abdomen CT | 39.0 | 39.0-39.0 | 0 | 1 | 0.8 | 18 | 4.9 | .10 |
| Follow-up on worsening bronchitis/cough | 117.5 | 31.0-204.0 | 173.0 | 2 | 1.6 | 64 | 17.5 | .03 |
| Follow-up on unexplained weight loss | 98.5 | 36.0-1,029.0 | 504.0 | 4 | 3.3 | 74 | 20.3 | < .001 |
| Follow-up on pain in non-chest location | 45.0 | 40.0-72.0 | 32.0 | 3 | 2.5 | 28 | 7.7 | .005 |
| Pulmonary consult | 50.0 | 33.0-588.0 | 26.0 | 26 | 21.5 | 283 | 77.5 | < .001 |
| First bronchoscopic biopsy | 85.0 | 31-387 | 171.0 | 13 | 10.7 | 240 | 65.8 | < .001 |
| Second bronchoscopic biopsy | 53 | 49.0-57.0 | 8.0 | 2 | 1.6 | 21 | 5.8 | .12 |
| First needle biopsy | 50.0 | 32-253.0 | 52.0 | 24 | 19.8 | 72 | 19.7 | < .001 |
| Thoracic surgery consult | 55.0 | 34-386.0 | 49.0 | 5 | 4.1 | 36 | 9.9 | .02 |
| Open lung biopsy | 37.5 | 33-63.0 | 16.5 | 4 | 3.3 | 9 | 2.5 | .08 |
NOTE. The following were not seen in any patients: clubbing, new onset Cushing's disease, or superior vena cava obstruction. The following clues/procedure/consultation were identified only in patients with no missed opportunities: chest pain (40), abnormal sputum examination (3), unexplained effusion (10), new onset of hypercalcemia symptoms/syndrome (5), new onset of syndrome of inappropriate [secretion of] antidiuretic hormone (2), third bronchoscopic biopsy (2), second needle biopsy (2), mediastinoscopy (8), thoracentesis (26), and positron emission tomography scan (15).
Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; CT, computed tomograhy.
All actions were completed in ≤ 30 days.