A nationwide analysis of emergency medicine residents' CT interpretation in trauma: The Tract-EM study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy and determine the factors influencing trauma CT interpretation proficiency among emergency medicine (EM) residents in Turkey through the TraCT-EM study (Interpretation of Trauma CT by EMergency Physicians).

Methods: This nationwide, multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted in 29 academic emergency departments (EDs) from April 2023 to March 2024. A total of 401 senior EM residents participated in the study, each interpreting a standardized set of 42 trauma CT series (cranial, maxillofacial, and cervical) derived from seven patients. Interpretation accuracy was assessed, and factors predicting interpretation failure were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression models.

Results: The median accuracy rate of residents was 64.9 %, with higher accuracy in normal CT findings. Using the Angoff method, 14 % of residents scored below the passing threshold. Factors associated with interpretation failure included shorter interpretation times (OR, 0.97; 95 % CI, 0.95-0.99), lower self-confidence in detecting serious pathologies (OR, 2.50; 95 % CI, 1.42-4.42), reliance on in-hospital radiology department reports (OR, 3.45; 95 % CI, 1.47-8.05), and receiving final radiology reports for CT scans (OR, 3.30; 95 % CI, 1.67-6.52), and lack of in-department training programs (OR, 2.51; 95 % CI, 1.34-4.70).

Conclusion: The TraCT-EM study highlighted a 65 % accuracy rate for senior EM residents in trauma CT interpretation, with specific predictors of failure identified. These findings suggest a need for tailored radiology education strategies to enhance training and competency in trauma CT interpretation for EM residents. Further optimization of educational programs could address these gaps, ultimately improving patient outcomes in trauma care.

Keywords: Computed tomography; Education; Emergency medicine; Interpretation; Radiology; Trauma.