• Yu Kuo, Kang-Lung Lee, Yi-Lun Chen, Ching-Yao Weng, Feng-Chi Chang, Tzeng-Ji Chen, Hsiu-Mei Wu, and Chia-Hung Wu.
• Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
• J Chin Med Assoc. 2023 Feb 1; 86 (2): 240245240-245.

BackgroundReporting the findings from radiologic images is an important method for radiologists to communicate with referring physicians. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the recommendations for additional imaging (RAIs) after abdominal computed tomography (CT) studies for abdominal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.MethodsThe institutional review board approved this retrospective study, which includes data collected from the radiology information system (RIS) database of a tertiary medical referral center. Associations between abdominal CT and subsequent abdominal MR were recorded. The effectiveness of RAIs in an abdominal report was determined. The influence of the wording and the location of the RAIs were also analyzed.ResultsThe presence of RAIs in an abdominal CT report for an abdominal MR examination was more likely to result in a subsequent MR examination within 120 days (36.7% vs. 4.0%). RAIs were also associated with a reduction in the time interval between the CT and MR examinations (29.0 days vs. 39.0 days). The most effective recommendations included wording that advocated for further evaluation and were mentioned in both the context and conclusion of the report.ConclusionRAIs have a significant influence on clinical decisions. Radiologists should be aware of the power of RAIs and be prudent and conscientious when making recommendations in radiology reports.Copyright © 2022, the Chinese Medical Association.

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