Survey of practitioners’ competency for diagnosis of acute diseases manifest on chest X-ray
Abstract Background Chest X-ray (CXR) is a common imaging modality that could impact immediate decision-making for acute chest pathologies. We sought to examine the non-radiologists proficiency of diagnosing acute pathologies manifest on CXR. Methods We selected 9 clinical vignettes, each associated...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2017-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Imaging |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12880-017-0222-8 |
| _version_ | 1819063749656444928 |
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| author | Ghazaleh Mehdipoor Fatemeh Salmani Abbas Arjmand Shabestari |
| author_facet | Ghazaleh Mehdipoor Fatemeh Salmani Abbas Arjmand Shabestari |
| author_sort | Ghazaleh Mehdipoor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Chest X-ray (CXR) is a common imaging modality that could impact immediate decision-making for acute chest pathologies. We sought to examine the non-radiologists proficiency of diagnosing acute pathologies manifest on CXR. Methods We selected 9 clinical vignettes, each associated with a CXR, wherein only a single acute chest pathology was manifest. We also added a low-risk vignette associated with a normal CXR. We built an electronic survey with the CXR-embedded vignettes and also inquired about the participants’ confidence in the diagnosis, and prior exposure to the topics. We distributed the survey to senior medical students and general practitioners (GPs) in Tehran, Iran. We scored each correct answer per each vignette as 1 and each incorrect answer as 0; leading into a sum score from 0 to10 for the entire survey for each participant. Results Of the 136 candidates, 100 had legible survey results (67 medical students and 33 GPs). The overall score (mean [standard error]) was 3.57 [0.20], with no significant difference between the students and GPs (P = 0.15). The lowest rate of correct response occurred for acute respiratory distress syndrome (8%), foreign body (12%), and normal CXR (15%), while the best-answered vignettes were diaphragmatic herniation (77%) and pneumoperitoneum (67%). Self-reported confidence was associated with correct response for pneumoperitoneum, tension pneumothorax, and pulmonary edema (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusions Diagnostic proficiency of practitioners for acute chest pathologies in our study was poor, including for distinction of a normal CXR. Such dramatic knowledge deficiencies for common or life-threatening chest pathologies should be prioritized in the educational and continuous education curricula. Secure electronic tools for transferring the CXRs to specialists in case of acute pathologies would be an interim pragmatic alternative. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:19:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-61ed686c37e247ed84d8be27ef326b2a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2342 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:19:37Z |
| publishDate | 2017-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Imaging |
| spelling | doaj.art-61ed686c37e247ed84d8be27ef326b2a2022-12-21T18:59:04ZengBMCBMC Medical Imaging1471-23422017-08-011711610.1186/s12880-017-0222-8Survey of practitioners’ competency for diagnosis of acute diseases manifest on chest X-rayGhazaleh Mehdipoor0Fatemeh Salmani1Abbas Arjmand Shabestari2Department of Radiology, Modarres Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Biostatistics, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Radiology, Modarres Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical SciencesAbstract Background Chest X-ray (CXR) is a common imaging modality that could impact immediate decision-making for acute chest pathologies. We sought to examine the non-radiologists proficiency of diagnosing acute pathologies manifest on CXR. Methods We selected 9 clinical vignettes, each associated with a CXR, wherein only a single acute chest pathology was manifest. We also added a low-risk vignette associated with a normal CXR. We built an electronic survey with the CXR-embedded vignettes and also inquired about the participants’ confidence in the diagnosis, and prior exposure to the topics. We distributed the survey to senior medical students and general practitioners (GPs) in Tehran, Iran. We scored each correct answer per each vignette as 1 and each incorrect answer as 0; leading into a sum score from 0 to10 for the entire survey for each participant. Results Of the 136 candidates, 100 had legible survey results (67 medical students and 33 GPs). The overall score (mean [standard error]) was 3.57 [0.20], with no significant difference between the students and GPs (P = 0.15). The lowest rate of correct response occurred for acute respiratory distress syndrome (8%), foreign body (12%), and normal CXR (15%), while the best-answered vignettes were diaphragmatic herniation (77%) and pneumoperitoneum (67%). Self-reported confidence was associated with correct response for pneumoperitoneum, tension pneumothorax, and pulmonary edema (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusions Diagnostic proficiency of practitioners for acute chest pathologies in our study was poor, including for distinction of a normal CXR. Such dramatic knowledge deficiencies for common or life-threatening chest pathologies should be prioritized in the educational and continuous education curricula. Secure electronic tools for transferring the CXRs to specialists in case of acute pathologies would be an interim pragmatic alternative.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12880-017-0222-8Chest X-rayCompetencyKnowledgeDiagnosis |
| spellingShingle | Ghazaleh Mehdipoor Fatemeh Salmani Abbas Arjmand Shabestari Survey of practitioners’ competency for diagnosis of acute diseases manifest on chest X-ray BMC Medical Imaging Chest X-ray Competency Knowledge Diagnosis |
| title | Survey of practitioners’ competency for diagnosis of acute diseases manifest on chest X-ray |
| title_full | Survey of practitioners’ competency for diagnosis of acute diseases manifest on chest X-ray |
| title_fullStr | Survey of practitioners’ competency for diagnosis of acute diseases manifest on chest X-ray |
| title_full_unstemmed | Survey of practitioners’ competency for diagnosis of acute diseases manifest on chest X-ray |
| title_short | Survey of practitioners’ competency for diagnosis of acute diseases manifest on chest X-ray |
| title_sort | survey of practitioners competency for diagnosis of acute diseases manifest on chest x ray |
| topic | Chest X-ray Competency Knowledge Diagnosis |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12880-017-0222-8 |
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