Patient involvement can cut errors in X-ray imaging

(HealthDay)—A patient involvement system can reduce errors in X-ray imaging, according to a study published online July 5 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.

Joon Yub Kim, M.D., Ph.D., from the Seonam University College of Medicine in Goyang, South Korea, and colleagues analyzed the errors in X-ray orders in 2014 for an orthopedic outpatient clinic and classified them into six categories. Errors were assessed from April to September 2014 (preintervention; Group I), and from April to September 2015, following introduction of the patient involvement system in March 2015 (post-intervention; Group II).

The researchers observed a decrease in the rate of X-ray prescription errors from 0.58 to 0.08 percent (Group I and Group II, respectively). The most significant reduction in error rate was seen in left-to-right errors, with 58 cases in Group I and five in Group II (rate reduction of approximately 91 percent). The wrist and hand was the most common anatomical location of the error (30.3 percent). In 2014, there was a significant difference between the ordered anatomical locations and the incidence of error, and for the correlation between the ordered anatomical locations and error types (both P < 0.001).

"We found that patient involvement was effective in reducing errors in X-ray imaging in our orthopedic clinic, and we recommend its use in other medical fields with respect to left-to-right issues," the authors write.