Document Detail


Primary care direct access MRI for the investigation of chronic headache.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  22088325     Owner:  NLM     Status:  Publisher    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
AIM: To assess the efficacy of a primary-care imaging pathway for neurology outpatients, from inception to deployment, compared with traditional outpatient referral. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After local agreement, guidelines were generated providing pathways for diagnosis and treatment of common causes of headache, highlighting "red-flag" features requiring urgent neurology referral, and selecting patients for direct magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) referral. In addition, reports were clarified and standardized. To evaluate the efficacy of the access pathway, a retrospective sequential review of 100 MRI investigations was performed comparing general practitioner (GP) referral, with traditional neurology referral plus imaging, acquired before the pathway started. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference in rates of major abnormalities, incidental findings or ischaemic lesions were identified between the two cohorts. Reported patient satisfaction was high, with a cost reduction for groups using the pathway. CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study suggest that a defined access pathway for imaging to investigate chronic headache can be deployed appropriately in a primary-care setting.
Authors:
T R Taylor; N Evangelou; H Porter; R Lenthall
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Publication Detail:
Type:  JOURNAL ARTICLE     Date:  2011-11-14
Journal Detail:
Title:  Clinical radiology     Volume:  -     ISSN:  1365-229X     ISO Abbreviation:  -     Publication Date:  2011 Nov 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-11-17     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  1306016     Medline TA:  Clin Radiol     Country:  -    
Other Details:
Languages:  ENG     Pagination:  -     Citation Subset:  -    
Copyright Information:
Copyright © 2011 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Affiliation:
Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
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