Radiology, Vol 182, 355-357, Copyright © 1992 by Radiological Society of North America
The computer-based cumulative report: improvement in quality and efficiency
PS Wheeler and S Raymond
Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD 21205.
A cumulative radiology report, like clinical progress notes, contains a
listing of examinations and findings in chronologic order. Word processing
is the most efficient way to create such a report, with follow-up
examinations handled as additions to an existing document. Since 1988,
cumulative reports on 127 cases involving 483 examinations have been made
for a long-term industrial chest radiology survey by using a personal
computer and custom software that employs minimum keystrokes to manage
files. The results were as follows: (a) Quality improved operationally
owing to routine auditing of prior information. (b) Efficiency improved
owing to computer speed and software functions that included a refined
"last in-first out" index and user-defined macros. (c) The radiologist
saved time by not having to reiterate previously reported findings that
were unchanged. This method is ideal for long-term surveys and could be a
useful option for follow-up examinations in general.
