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National Guideline Centre (UK). Emergency and acute medical care in over 16s: service delivery and organisation. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2018 Mar. (NICE Guideline, No. 94.)

Cover of Emergency and acute medical care in over 16s: service delivery and organisation

Emergency and acute medical care in over 16s: service delivery and organisation.

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Chapter 8GP access to radiology

8. Primary care access to radiology

8.1. Introduction

Diagnostic radiology plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of patients presenting with an acute medical emergency (AME). This can range from simple imaging, such as plain x-ray - chest x-ray or abdominal x-ray, to more specialist tests such as computerised tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US) imaging. There is a strategic drive in the United Kingdom to reduce emergency referrals to hospitals; however, the role of such investigations both in terms of access and same day reporting in a GP setting remains unclear.

While it may be accepted that more specialist tests should be restricted to a hospital setting, there may be a more specific role for plain x-ray radiology, for example, in patients presenting to a GP with a sub-acute breathing problem such as a chest infection, exacerbation of chronic obstructive airways disease or exacerbation of asthma, the role of plain x-ray radiology and reassurance of a normal chest x-ray may avoid unnecessary referral to hospital.

8.2. Review question: Does GP access to radiology with same day results improve outcomes?

For full details see review protocol in Appendix A.

Table 1. PICO characteristics of review question.

Table 1

PICO characteristics of review question.

8.3. Clinical evidence

No relevant clinical studies comparing GP access to same day radiological investigations with same day results to GP access to radiology without same day results were identified.

8.4. Economic evidence

Published literature

No relevant economic evaluations were identified.

See also the economic article selection flow chart in Appendix C.

The unit costs of GP visits, diagnostic tests and relevant hospital admissions or stays were presented to the committee (see Chapter 41 Appendix I).

8.5. Evidence statements

Clinical

  • No evidence identified.

Economic

  • No evidence identified.

8.6. Recommendations and link to evidence

Recommendation -
Research recommendation RR5. What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of providing GPs with access to plain X-ray radiology or ultrasound with same day results?
Relative values of different outcomes

The guideline committee considered 6 outcomes critical for inclusion in this review: mortality, avoidable adverse events, patient and/or carer satisfaction, quality of life, ED attendance and admission to hospital.

The outcome laboratory/diagnostic turnaround for result to a GP was considered important.

Trade-off between benefits and harms

No evidence was identified which compared GP access to same day radiology or ultrasound results with not receiving results the same day. The committee discussed the absence of evidence and decided to develop a research recommendation.

The committee noted that, although this is not current practice across the country, there was the potential for improvement in patient care and outcomes from the availability of same day plain x-ray radiology and ultrasound for a specific subset of patients. It may lead to a decrease in ED admissions and earlier diagnosis. In turn, earlier diagnosis could mean quicker treatment and improved patient outcomes, including patient and/or carer satisfaction. Further research would be needed to evaluate this. This could include patients, such as those with asthma, presenting with acute chest pain and the need to rule out a small pneumothorax.

The committee accepted that, in general, patients who might benefit from same day results from radiological investigations could be those who might also require specialist investigation or admission to hospital, as opposed to management within primary care; whilst patients with non-acute illness may not require radiology results on the same day.

Trade-off between net effects and costs

No relevant economic evaluations were identified. The unit costs of GP visits, diagnostic tests and relevant hospital admissions or stays were presented to the committee (see Chapter 41 Appendix I).

The costs, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of same day results might be influenced by the equipment used and the type of staff (including the ratio of radiologists to radiographers used in reporting results),

Without effectiveness evidence, the committee were unable to assess the cost-effectiveness of same day results and therefore a research recommendation was made.

Quality of evidenceNo evidence was identified which compared same day GP access to diagnostic radiology results compared to not receiving results on the same day. The committee discussed the absence of evidence and used consensus to develop a research recommendation.
Other considerations

The committee focused the research recommendation on plain x-ray radiology and ultrasound as these investigations were most likely to be of benefit within the community. Ultrasound is included in this recommendation to reflect its growing use in rapid diagnosis, for example, to rule out a pleural effusion. The current approach is for GPs to refer patients to the ED or an AMU if they need same day plain x-ray radiography or ultrasound.

Patients would likely prefer rapid diagnosis and management to reduce uncertainty. It would be beneficial to patients to not have to transit through the emergency department to access investigations, particularly to those who are frail or elderly. The group decided not to include more invasive radiological investigations (such as CTPA) within the research recommendation as such patients would likely need specialist review and expert interpretation of results.

The committee noted that there were likely to be logistical and staffing difficulties in the provision of same day plain x-ray radiology and ultrasound results. Increased provision of staff training would be required.

The committee also noted that a ‘result’ was more than just the radiological images; expert interpretation would also be required for investigations which lay outside the expertise of individual GPs.

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Appendices

Appendix A. Review protocol

Table 2Review protocol: GP access to radiology

Review questionDoes GP access to radiology and ultrasound with same day results improve outcomes?
Guideline condition and its definitionAME. Definition: people with suspected or confirmed acute medical emergencies.
ObjectivesTo determine if enhanced GP access to radiological and ultrasound investigations improves outcomes.
Review populationAdults and young people (16 years and over) presenting to a GP with a suspected or confirmed AME.
Line of therapy not an inclusion criterion.

Interventions and comparators: generic/class; specific/drug

(All interventions will be compared with each other, unless otherwise stated)

GP access to same day radiological (plain x-ray) and ultrasound (including Doppler) investigations with same day results at weekdays (out of hours) and weekends.

GP access to same day radiological (plain x-ray) and ultrasound (including Doppler) investigations without same day results.

Standard services- GP access to same day plain x-ray radiology during working hours (weekdays) with same day results.

Outcomes
-

Mortality during the study period (Dichotomous) CRITICAL

-

Avoidable adverse events (including delay in diagnosis and treatment, misdiagnosis) during the study period (Dichotomous) CRITICAL

-

Quality of life during the study period (Continuous) CRITICAL

-

ED attendance during the study period (Dichotomous) CRITICAL

-

Admissions during the study period (Dichotomous) CRITICAL

-

Patient and/or carer satisfaction during the study period (Dichotomous) CRITICAL

-

Laboratory or Diagnostic turn around for result to GP during the study period (Dichotomous) (IMPORTANT)

Study designSystematic reviews (SRs) of RCTs, RCTs, observational studies only to be included if no relevant SRs or RCTs are identified.
Unit of randomisation

Patient

GP surgeries/practices.

Crossover studyNot permitted.
Minimum duration of studyNot defined.
ExclusionsNone
Subgroup analyses if there is heterogeneity
-

Frail elderly (Frail elderly; No frail elderly); Effects may be different in this group.

Search criteria

The databases to be searched are: Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library

Date limits for search: None

Language: English only.

Appendix B. Clinical article selection

Figure 1. Flow chart of clinical article selection for the review of GP access to radiology.

Figure 1Flow chart of clinical article selection for the review of GP access to radiology

Appendix C. Forest plots

No studies were included.

Appendix D. Clinical evidence tables

No studies were included.

Appendix E. Economic evidence tables

No studies were included.

Appendix F. GRADE tables

No studies were included.

Appendix G. Excluded clinical studies

Table 3Studies excluded from the clinical review

StudyExclusion reason
Apthorp 1998 1Incorrect interventions. MRI not in protocol
Benamore 2005 2Incorrect interventions. CT not in protocol
Blois 20123Incorrect comparison (GP screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm versus ultrasound technician)
Bui 200441/3 of population under 16 years old.
Bury 19875Narrative paper
Carey 19896No outcomes of interest
Castro 20077Incorrect interventions (retinal digital images)
Chan 19998Inappropriate comparison
Chaptini 20109Incorrect interventions (ambulatory cardiac single-photon emission computed tomography)
Collie 1999 10Incorrect interventions. MRI not in protocol
Detar 196011Qualitative study
Duncan 200512Not a comparative study
Durham 199913Not a comparative study
Farrell 197714Not a comparative study
Fassiadis 200515Incorrect interventions (screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm)
Frohwein 200116Narrative paper
Geary 200717Not review population
Gravil 199818Incorrect comparison (treated in hospital versus treated at home)
Guldbrandt 201519Incorrect population (lung cancer patients)
Haber 197820Narrative paper
Hahn 198821Narrative paper
Halvorsen 198922Incorrect comparison (GP versus radiologist interpretation)
Hammond 200023Narrative
Hawksworth 195124Case series
Howard 2005 25Incorrect interventions. Neuroimaging not in protocol
Hussain 199927Incorrect comparison (comparing images sent via differing transition methods)
Hussain 200426No outcomes of interest
Ingeman 201528No outcomes of interest
Katerndahl 198229Narrative
Kiuru 200230Incorrect comparison (GP sending some x-rays to hospital for interpretation versus sending all).
Kuritzky 198731Incorrect interventions (interpretation of x-rays by GP versus radiologist)
Laerum 200132Narrative
Lahde 200233Not an intervention study
Laine 199834Incorrect comparison (comparing ultrasound, clinical exam and radiography)
Laws 200635Not a comparative study. No outcomes of interest.
Leiro-fernandez 201436Incorrect interventions (system to alert pulmonologists of lung cancer suspicion)
Li 199937Incorrect interventions (screening for glaucoma)
Li 201138Incorrect interventions (ocular telehealth)
Maurin 201439Not review population
Mclain 198540Inappropriate comparison (GP versus radiologist interpretation)
Merrington 198141Narrative
Miller 200642Not a comparative study
Mjolstad 201243Inappropriate comparison
Morioka 200744No outcomes of interest
Olayiwola 201145Incorrect interventions
Osmond 197746Narrative
Oswald 196447Narrative
Oswald 196448Narrative
Paakkala 198849Inappropriate comparison (GP versus radiologist interpretation)
Pavlicek 199950No outcomes of interest
Pickhardt 200651Not a comparative study
Qureshi 200152Does not match protocol (diagnostic accuracy of Doppler ultrasound)
Rawson 196553Inappropriate comparison (GP versus hospital clinician)
Redmond 201354Inappropriate comparison (GP versus radiologist interpretation)
Rogers 201055Narrative paper
Romero-aroca 201056Incorrect interventions (screening for retinopathy)
Smith 199357Not a comparative study
Speets 200658Not a comparative study
Stoddart 198959Not a comparative study
Strasser 1987A60Unclear when results were received by the GP for control group.
Suramo 200261Incorrect interventions (accuracy of ultrasound scans performed by GPs)
Taylor 200762Incorrect interventions (retinopathy screening)
Thomas 2010 63Incorrect interventions. CT not in protocol
Verstraete 200864Incorrect interventions (MRI)
Yates 201670Incorrect comparison (access versus no access)
Waite 200665Incorrect interventions (CT)
Weiner 200566Inappropriate comparison
Whitfield 197367No outcomes of interest
Wilson 200568Incorrect interventions (retinal imaging)
Wordsworth 200269No outcomes of interest

Appendix H. Excluded economic studies

No studies were excluded.

Copyright © NICE 2018.
Bookshelf ID: NBK564919

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