Table 1.
Comparison of types of communication, providers and imaging for acknowledged and unacknowledged diagnostic imaging alerts
|
Unacknowledged n= 217 (18.1) |
Acknowledged n= 979 (81.9) |
p- value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | (%) | n | (%) | ||
| Communication Characteristics | p = 0.84 | ||||
| Electronic Alert Communication* | 133 | (17.8) | 612 | (82.2) | |
| Electronic Alert + Verbal Communication** | 35 | (17.0) | 171 | (83.0) | |
| Electronic Alert + Admission † | 35 | (20.4) | 137 | (80.0) | |
| Electronic Alert + Verbal Communication + Admission‡ | 14 | (19.2) | 59 | (80.8) | |
| Ordering provider Characteristics | p < 0.0001 | ||||
| Attending physician | 100 | (14.4) | 596 | (85.6) | |
| Physician Assistants | 18 | (7.5) | 223 | (92.5) | |
| Trainees (Interns, Residents, Fellows)^ | 94 | (49.0) | 98 | (51.0) | |
| Nurse Practitioners | 5 | (7.5) | 62 | (92.5) | |
| Types of Abnormal Imaging Reported | p = 0.0005 | ||||
| X- ray | 75 | (13.1) | 497 | (86.9) | |
| Ultrasound | 25 | (24.0) | 79 | (76.0) | |
| CT Scan | 101 | (22.0) | 358 | (78.0) | |
| MRI | 16 | (26.7) | 44 | (73.3) | |
| Mammography | 0 | (0.0) | 1 | (100.0) | |
| Ordering Provider Specialty | p < 0.0001 | ||||
| Primary Care | 85 | (14.1) | 516 | (85.9) | |
| Emergency Medicine | 41 | (15.5) | 223 | (84.5) | |
| Specialty Surgery | 41 | (34.2) | 79 | (65.8) | |
| Other Medical Specialties | 14 | (23.0) | 47 | (77.0) | |
| Hematology/ Oncology | 12 | (24.0) | 38 | (76.0) | |
| Pulmonary Disease | 10 | (25.0) | 30 | (75.0) | |
| General Surgery | 11 | (29.0) | 27 | (71.0) | |
| Other Non-specified Specialties | 3 | (13.6) | 19 | (86.4) | |
| Dual Communication | p = <.0001 | ||||
| Dual | 146 | (24.0) | 461 | (76.0) | |
| Single | 71 | (12.0) | 518 | (88.0) | |
*
Only electronic communication of alert
**
Electronic and verbal communication of alert
†
Electronic communication of alert followed by a hospital admission prior to chart review
‡
Electronic and verbal communication of alert followed by a hospital admission prior to chart review
^
Trainees who provide care in our outpatient setting do so at an average of ½-1 day every 2 weeks.