CT head reporting by radiographers: Results of an accredited postgraduate programme. Issue 3 (August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lockwood, P.; Piper, K.; Pittock, L.
• Is Part Of: Radiography. Volume 21:Issue 3(2015)
• Page Start: e85
• Page End: e89
• Publication Date: 2015-08
• Subjects: Diagnostic imaging -- Periodicals; Radiotherapy -- Periodicals; Cancer -- Radiotherapy -- Periodicals; Diagnostic Imaging -- Periodicals; Neoplasms -- Periodicals; Radiotherapy -- Periodicals; Imagerie pour le diagnostic -- Périodiques; Radiothérapie -- Périodiques; Cancer -- Radiothérapie -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 616.0757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.radi.2014.12.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1078-8174

Abstract

<abstract xml:lang="en" abstract-type="author" id="abs0010"> <title id="sectitle0010">Abstract</title> <sec> <title id="sectitle0015">Aim</title> <p id="abspara0010">To evaluate the results of the summative objective structured examination (OSE) for the first four cohorts of radiographers (<italic>n</italic> = 24) undertaking an accredited postgraduate course in reporting computer tomography (CT) head examinations.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sectitle0020">Method</title> <p id="abspara0015">The construction of a summative OSE contained twenty five CT head examinations that incorporated 1:1 normal to abnormal pathological examples. All cases were blind reported by three consultant radiologists to produce a valid reference standard report for comparison with the radiographer's interpretation. The radiographers (<italic>n</italic> = 24) final reports (<italic>n</italic> = 600) were analysed to determine the sensitivity, specificity and agreement values and concordance for the four cohorts.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sectitle0025">Results</title> <p id="abspara0020">The four cohorts (2007–2013) of postgraduate radiography students' collective OSE results established a mean sensitivity rate of 99%, specificity 95% and agreement concordance rates of 90%. The final grades indicate that within an academic environment, trained radiographers possess high levels of diagnostic performance accuracy in the interpretation of CT head examinations.</p> </sec> </abstract>