Analysis of the availability and completeness of previous radiological examinations related to plain films.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the availability and completeness of previous radiological examinations.


METHODS
Seven different types of examinations were analysed separately: 1) chest examinations, 2) bedside chest examinations, 3) skeletal examinations, 4) angiographic examinations, 5) mammographic examinations, 6) CT examinations, and 7) MR examinations. A retrospective part of the study covered the calendar year 1997, while a prospective part referred to 1998. The sample size in each modality and each part of the study was 100 observations, resulting in a total number of 1,400 examinations.


RESULTS
The average availability and completeness of radiographs in the retrospective analysis was 96.9% in 1997. The average availability and completeness of radiographs in the prospective analysis was 85.5% for the year 1998. This applied to necessary previous examinations of the same or different modality irrespective whether the examination was conducted internally or externally.


CONCLUSIONS
The real loss rate of radiographs derived from the retrospective investigation was 3.1%. The prospective part of the study showed that 14.5% of the required previous internal and external examinations of the same or different modality were not available completely and in time to the examining radiologist.
Völk
M
M
Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Regensburg, Germany.
Strotzer
M
M
Lenhart
M
M
Wild
T
T
Fründ
R
R
Techert
J
J
Feuerbach
S
S
D006801:Humans; D008499:Medical Records; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011873:Radiology Information Systems; D012189:Retrospective Studies