Structured reporting of CT examinations in acute pulmonary embolism

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the effect of structured reporting of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) studies on the content, clarity and clinical usefulness of radiology reports in acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Methods Conventional and structured reports were generated for 41 patients with a CTPA positive for acute PE. Conventional reports were dictated in a free-text form using speech recognition; structured reports contained a consistent ordering of observations with standardized subheadings. Conventional reports were compared to standardized structured reports. Two general internists and two pulmonologists rated their satisfaction with the clarity and content of the report and its clinical usefulness and hypothetically assigned the patients to a suitable disposition and therapy. Results Overall, structured reports received higher ratings for content (median rating 10.0 vs. 8.5, p