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. 2022 Feb;47(2):704-714.
doi: 10.1007/s00261-021-03353-9. Epub 2021 Nov 20.

Structured CT reporting of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: impact on completeness of information and interdisciplinary communication for surgical planning

Rubab F Malik  1 , Alina Hasanain  2 , Kelly J Lafaro  2 , Jin He  2 , Amol K Narang  3 , Elliot K Fishman  4 , Atif Zaheer  5   6
Affiliations

Structured CT reporting of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: impact on completeness of information and interdisciplinary communication for surgical planning

Rubab F Malik et al. Abdom Radiol (NY). 2022 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: With the rise in popularity of structured reports in radiology, we sought to evaluate whether free-text CT reports on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) staging at our institute met published guidelines and assess feedback of pancreatic surgeons comparing free-text and structured report styles with the same information content.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 298 free-text preoperative CT reports from 2015 to 2017 for the inclusion of key tumor descriptors. Two surgeons independently evaluated 50 free-text reports followed by evaluation of the same reports in a structured format using a 7-question survey to assess the usefulness and ease of information extraction. Fisher's exact test and Chi-square test for independence were utilized for categorical responses and an independent samples t test for comparing mean ratings of report quality as rated on a 5-point Likert scale.

Results: The most commonly included descriptors in free-text reports were tumor location (99%), liver lesions (97%), and suspicious lymph nodes (97%). The most commonly excluded descriptors were variant arterial anatomy and peritoneal/omental nodularity, which were present in only 23% and 42% of the reports, respectively. For vascular involvement, a mention of the presence or absence of perivascular disease with the main portal vein was most commonly included (87%). Both surgeons' rating of overall report quality was significantly higher for structured reports (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Our results indicate that free-text reports may not include key descriptors for staging PDAC. Surgeons rated structured reports that presented the same information as free-text reports but in a template format superior for guiding clinical management, convenience of use, and overall report quality.

Keywords: CT; Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; Radiology report; Report quality; Structured reporting.

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