title: Repeated Diagnostic Imaging Studies in Ontario and the Impact of Health Information Exchange Systems.
abstract: Health information exchange systems can link the results of diagnostic imaging tests across hospitals and geographic areas. One of the potential benefits of these systems is a reduction in imaging studies ordered by physicians who do not know about or have access to the previous imaging results. We used administrative data from Ontario, Canada (from the year 2013), to measure how frequently the same cross-sectional imaging study is repeated in a patient. Overall, 12.8% of the specified imaging tests were repeated within 90 days. An area of Southwestern Ontario with a health information exchange system for diagnostic imaging tests had a 13% lower rate of repeat cross-sectional imaging compared with the rest of the province (11.2 vs 12.8%, p < 0.01). The use of linked radiology systems may be able to reduce the number of repeated imaging tests and improve patient safety and hospital efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Urologist at St. Josephs Healthcare London, and a Scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
authors.forename: Blayne
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Welk
authors.affiliation: Research analyst at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Western satellite site.
authors.forename: Kuan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Epidemiologist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Western satellite site.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Jaishi
authors.affiliation: Research analyst at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Western satellite site.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McArthur
authors.affiliation: Nephrologist at London Health Sciences Centre, London, and a Scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
authors.forename: Arsh K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Urologist at St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, and a Scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ordon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D066275:Health Information Exchange / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario