A neuroradiology e-mail service for a district general hospital in the COVID-19 era

Abstract

Background:

Hospital care for most neurological patients occurs in district general hospitals (DGHs). The COVID-19 pandemic displaced our DGH weekly neuroradiology meeting to an email service.

Methods:

Neuroradiological discrepancies among selected neurological patients were compared between face-to-face (f2f) meetings and an e-mail service.

Results:

Among 734 consecutively selected patients there was no statistically significant differences in outcomes – frequency of clinically unimportant discrepancies (10.3% e-mail vs 12.8% f2f, p = 0.300) or frequency of clinically important discrepancies (16.0% e-mail vs 15.6% f2f, p = 0.889). Among all imaged patients assessed by a neurologist, clinically important discrepancies were estimated to be 4.2% (95% CI: 3.5%–5.0%), with little annual variation (Chi-square for trend, p = 0.156).

Conclusion:

This study shows that DGH general radiology provides good quality reporting of neuroimaging, and neurologists provide a pivotal role in identifying patients who require neuroradiology second opinions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, an e-mail service maintained neuroimaging quality assurance in a DGH.