title: Clinicians' perceptions of the value of ventilation-perfusion scans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of this investigation was to understand clinicians' perceptions of the probability of pulmonary embolism as a function of V/Q scan results of normal, low, intermediate, and high probability.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was developed and distributed to 429 clinicians at a single academic medical center. The response rate was 44% (188 of 429). The questions included level of training, specialty, probability of PE given 1 of the 4 V/Q scan results, and estimations of the charges for V/Q scanning and pulmonary angiography, and estimations of the risks of pulmonary angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The medians and ranges for the probability of pulmonary embolism given a normal, low, intermediate, and high probability V/Q scan result were 2.5% (0-30), 12.5% (0.5-52.5), 41.25% (5-75), and 85% (5-100), respectively. Eleven percent (21 of 188) of the respondents listed the probability of PE in patients with a low probability V/Q scan as being 5% or less, and 33% (62 of 188) listed the probability of PE given an intermediate probability scan as 50% or greater. The majority correctly identified the rate of serious complications of pulmonary arteriography, but many respondents underestimated the charge for V/Q scans and pulmonary arteriography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A substantial minority of clinicians do not understand the probability of pulmonary embolism in patients with low and intermediate probability ventilation-perfusion scans. More quantitative reporting of results is recommended. This could be particularly important because VQ scans are used less frequently but are still needed in certain clinical situations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756, USA. alan.h.siegel@hitchcock.org
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Holtzman
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bettmann
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010820:Physicians; D011336:Probability; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014692:Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio / Q000502:physiology*