Abstract
BackgroundChest 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.MethodsWe 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.ResultsOf 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).ConclusionsDiagnostic 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.
Highlights
Chest X-ray (CXR) is a common imaging modality that could impact immediate decision-making for acute chest pathologies
Common sense and multiple studies show that radiologists provide more accurate interpretation of CXRs, other providers should be cognizant of acute CXR pathologies
Some prior studies indicate that medical students, and other junior practitioners, may be less familiar with or confident of their knowledge about detection of CXR findings such as pulmonary metastases, pleural effusion, tuberculosis, and dextrocardia compared with senior providers and radiologists [7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]
Summary
Chest X-ray (CXR) is a common imaging modality that could impact immediate decision-making for acute chest pathologies. Appropriate interpretation of CXR findings commonly impact clinical decision-making and management. It is unknown to what extent potential knowledge deficiency or experience gap exists for diagnosing the CXR findings in acute chest pathologies, such as in tension pneumothorax, aortic dissection, or more common scenarios such as pulmonary edema, wherein appropriate interpretation impacts immediate plan of care. We aimed to assess the competency of non-radiologist healthcare providers (senior medical students who participate in point-of-care clinical decisions, and general practitioners (GPs)) for diagnoses of acute life-threatening conditions manifest on CXRs. We determined the factors associated with increased odds of accurate radiographic interpretations by such providers
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