Lung cancer: Radiographers reporting x rays halves time to diagnosis, study finds

Chest x ray reporting by radiographers in the lung cancer pathway could be used to “create additional diagnostic capacity safely” as the NHS faces an ongoing shortage of consultant radiologists, researchers have said.In a study, published in The BMJ’s Thorax journal, researchers from several UK universities and NHS trusts compared the time from chest x ray to lung cancer diagnosis with immediate radiographer (IR) reporting or standard radiographer (SR) reporting—which could involve a radiologist—within 24 hours.1They found that immediate radiographer reporting almost halved the time to diagnosis, with a median time of 32 days for the IR group (interquartile range 19 to 70) and 63 days for the SR group (IQR 29 to 78).In light of the findings, the study authors called for the adjusted pathway to be considered by clinical teams across the country.Lagging survival ratesCurrently the UK lags other countries with equivalent healthcare systems in terms of short…
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