Email this article 
Hide
Show all
Original Research
An audit of elective outpatient magnetic resonance imaging in a tertiary South African public-sector hospital
Submitted: 14 July 2014 | Published: 09 December 2014
About the author(s)
Francois van Schouwenburg, Division of Radiodiagnosis, Department of Medical Imaging and Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University, South AfricaChristelle Ackermann, Division of Radiodiagnosis, Department of Medical Imaging and Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Richard Pitcher, Division of Radiodiagnosis, Department of Medical Imaging and Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Abstract
Objectives: To document the nature and clinical appropriateness of scheduled TBH outpatient MRI examinations.
Method: A retrospective analysis of the referral forms of all elective outpatient MRIexaminations scheduled at TBH from 01 June to 30 November 2011 was conducted. Patient age, gender, clinical details, provisional diagnosis, examination requested and referring clinician were recorded on a customised data sheet. Two radiologists independently evaluated the appropriateness of each request by comparing the clinical details and the provisional diagnosis provided with the 2012 American College of Radiology (ACR) guidelines for the appropriate use of MRI.
Results: Four hundred and sixty-six patients (median age 42 years; interquartile range 19–55) who had 561 examinations were scheduled in the review period; 70 (15%) were children less than 6 years old. Neurosurgery (n = 164; 35%), orthopaedic (n = 144; 31%),neurology (n = 53; 11%) and paediatric (n = 27; 6%) outpatients accounted for the majority(81%) of referrals; 464 (99.6%) were from specialist clinics. MRIs of the spine (n = 314; 56%),brain (n = 152; 27%) and musculoskeletal system (n = 70, 13%) accounted for more than 95%of the investigations. In 455 cases (98%), the referral was congruent with published ACR guidelines for appropriate MRI utilisation.
Conclusion: Scheduled outpatient MRI examinations at TBH reflect optimal clinical use of a limited resource. MRI utilisation is largely confined to traditional neuro-imaging. Any initiative to decrease the elective MRI waiting time should focus on service expansion.
Keywords
Metrics
Total abstract views: 6743Total article views: 9833
Crossref Citations
1. The necessity of bilateral staging bone marrow examinations for paediatric solid tumours
Anne-Cecilia Van Marle, Ilse Coetzee, Wynand Britz, Jade Eichbauer, Marguerité Smith, Marli Van Gend, Helen Van der Westhuizen, Rièlle Vorster, Leriska Haupt
South African Journal of Oncology vol: 6 year: 2022
doi: 10.4102/sajo.v6i0.242
2. Measuring appropriateness of diagnostic imaging: a scoping review
Felix Walther, Maria Eberlein-Gonska, Ralf-Thorsten Hoffmann, Jochen Schmitt, Sophia F. U. Blum
Insights into Imaging vol: 14 issue: 1 year: 2023
doi: 10.1186/s13244-023-01409-6
3. Subjective symptoms of SMFs and RF energy, and risk perception among staff working with MR scanners within two public hospitals in South Africa
Phoka C. Rathebe
Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine vol: 41 issue: 2 first page: 152 year: 2022
doi: 10.1080/15368378.2022.2031212
4. Dental Practitioners’ Knowledge and Attitude Towards Ultrasonography: A Cross‐Sectional Study at a South African University
Jessica Simpson, Tineke van Zyl, Robert Barrie, Faheema Kimmie-Dhansay, Hannah Wesley
International Journal of Dentistry vol: 2026 issue: 1 year: 2026
doi: 10.1155/ijod/7601760