Structured reporting in radiology: a systematic review to explore its potential

J.M. Nobel*, K. van Geel, S.G.F. Robben

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal(Systematic) Review article peer-review

Abstract

Objectives Structured reporting (SR) in radiology reporting is suggested to be a promising tool in clinical practice. In order to implement such an emerging innovation, it is necessary to verify that radiology reporting can benefit from SR. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review is to explore the level of evidence of structured reporting in radiology. Additionally, this review provides an overview on the current status of SR in radiology. Methods A narrative systematic review was conducted, searching PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library using the syntax 'radiol*' AND 'structur*' AND 'report*'. Structured reporting was divided in SR level 1, structured layout (use of templates and checklists), and SR level 2, structured content (a drop-down menu, point-and-click or clickable decision trees). Two reviewers screened the search results and included all quantitative experimental studies that discussed SR in radiology. A thematic analysis was performed to appraise the evidence level. Results The search resulted in 63 relevant full text articles out of a total of 8561 articles. Thematic analysis resulted in 44 SR level 1 and 19 level 2 reports. Only one paper was scored as highest level of evidence, which concerned a double cohort study with randomized trial design. Conclusion The level of evidence for implementing SR in radiology is still low and outcomes should be interpreted with caution.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2837-2854
Number of pages18
JournalEuropean Radiology
Volume32
Issue number4
Early online date15 Oct 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2022

Keywords

  • Radiology
  • Reports
  • Neoplasm staging
  • Magnetic resonance imaging
  • Multidetector computed tomography
  • MRI REPORTS
  • REPORT TEMPLATE
  • FREE-TEXT
  • SUBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT
  • MULTIPHASIC CT
  • ERROR RATE
  • QUALITY
  • IMPACT
  • DISEASE
  • INFORMATION

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