Case for active physician involvement in US practice.

Abstract

To assess the benefit of active physician involvement in ultrasound (US) examinations. Concordance of findings by technologists and physicians was assessed prospectively for examinations of 1,510 consecutive patients who underwent US during regular working hours. Overall concordance was generally good (74%). However, in cases in which a major or minor new diagnosis was made from the US scan, concordance rates were substantially lower (36% and 32%, respectively). Agreement varied with the type of examination. The discordance rate for obstetric examinations (17%) was only half that for abdominal and pelvic examinations (31%). Concordance improved with increasing years of experience of the technologist. An active role of physicians in the overall conduct of US examinations is essential to optimize provision of a complete, accurate report.