title: Open access neuroimaging for general practitioners--diagnostic yield and influence on patient management.
abstract: This study assessed the first year of a regional general practitioner (GP) open-access neuroimaging service, to determine diagnostic yield and influence on patient management. Overall, 48.1% of examinations demonstrated a radiologically significant abnormality with 64.1% of spinal imaging examinations demonstrating significant findings. Utilised appropriately, a regional open-access neuroimaging service has good diagnostic yield and may influence the management of most referred patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh. pmw@skull.dcn.ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: Philip M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Jacqueline C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Halliday-Pegg
authors.forename: Donald A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Collie
mesh_terms: D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000592:standards; D010346:Patient Care Management; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D012606:Scotland; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000592:standards