RadioGraphics Update: The 10 Pillars of Lung Cancer Screening-Rationale and Logistics of a Lung Cancer Screening Program.

Editor's Note.-RadioGraphics Update articles supplement or update information found in full-length articles previously published in RadioGraphics. These updates, written by at least one author of the previous article, provide a brief synopsis that emphasizes important new information such as technological advances, revised imaging protocols, new clinical guidelines involving imaging, or updated classification schemes.

Rate of True-Positive Findings of COVID-19 Typical Appearance at Chest CT per RSNA Consensus Guidelines in an Increasingly Vaccinated Population.

Background RSNA consensus guidelines for COVID-19-related chest CT are widely used but, to the knowledge of the authors, their rate of true-positive findings for COVID-19 pneumonia in vaccinated patients has not been assessed. Purpose To assess the rate of true-positive findings of typical appearance for COVID-19 at chest CT by using RSNA guidelines in fully vaccinated patients with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19 infection compared with unvaccinated patients. Materials and Methods Included were patients with COVID-19 who had typical appearance on chest CT images and one PCR test for COVID-19 with a positive result or two tests with negative results within 7 days of undergoing chest CT between January 2021 and January 2022 at a quaternary academic medical center. True-positive findings were defined as chest CT images interpreted as COVID-19 typical appearance and PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection within 7 days. Logistic regression models were constructed to quantify the association between PCR results and vaccination status, vaccination status and COVID-19 variants, and vaccination status and number of months. Results Included were 652 patients (median age, 59 years; IQR, 48-72 years; 371 men [57%]) with CT scans classified as typical appearance. Of those patients, 483 (74%) were unvaccinated and 169 (26%) were fully vaccinated. The overall rate of true-positive findings on CT images rated as typical appearance was lower in vaccinated versus unvaccinated patients (70 of 169 [41%; 95% CI: 34, 49] vs 352 of 483 [73%; 95% CI: 69, 77]; odds ratio [OR], 3.8 [95% CI: 2.6, 5.5]; P < .001). Unvaccinated patients were more likely to have true-positive findings on CT images compared with fully vaccinated patients during the peaks of COVID-19 variants Alpha (OR, 16; 95% CI: 6, 42; P < .001) and Delta (OR, 8; 95% CI: 4, 16; P < .001), but no statistical differences were found during the peak of the Omicron variant (OR, 1.7; 95% CI: 0.3, 11; P = .56). Conclusion Fully vaccinated patients with confirmed COVID-19 breakthrough infections had lower rates of true-positive findings of COVID-19 typical appearance at chest CT. © RSNA, 2022 Supplemental material is available for this article.

Practical Approaches to Advancing Health Equity in Radiology, From the AJR Special Series on DEI.

Despite significant advances in health care, many patients from medically under-served populations are impacted by existing health care disparities. Radiologists are uniquely positioned to decrease health disparities and advance health equity efforts in their practices. However, literature on practical tools for advancing radiology health equity efforts applicable to a wide variety of patient populations and care settings is lacking. Therefore, this article seeks to equip radiologists with an evidence-based and practical knowledge tool kit of health equity strategies, presented in terms of four pillars of research, clinical care, education, and innovation. For each pillar, equity efforts across diverse patient populations and radiology practice settings are examined through the lens of existing barriers, current best practices, and future directions, incorporating practical examples relevant to a spectrum of patient populations. Health equity efforts provide an opportune window to transform radiology through personalized care delivery that is responsive to diverse patient needs. Guided by compassion and empathy as core principles of health equity, the four pillars provide a helpful framework to advance health equity efforts as a step toward social justice in health.

Electronic Health Record Order Entry-Based Interventions in Response to a Global Iodinated Contrast Media Shortage: Impact on Contrast-Enhanced CT Utilization.

BACKGROUND. Radiology informatics systems and clinical decision support tools in the electronic health record (EHR) can be leveraged to help impact ordering patterns in response to the ongoing global iodinated contrast media shortage. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of our study was to assess the impact of EHR order entry-based interventions, implemented as part of a health system's response to the global contrast media shortage, on contrast-enhanced CT utilization. METHODS. This retrospective study included 79,259 patients who underwent CT at a large multisite health system between April 1, 2022, and July 3, 2022. Two EHR-based interventions were implemented as part of the health system's response to the global contrast media shortage. A first EHR-based intervention on May 10, 2022, entailed creating an alert that appeared in a sidebar after any contrast-enhanced body CT orders, indicating the present shortage and recommending alternate imaging modalities. A second EHR-based intervention on May 16, 2022, required referrers to enter detailed clinical information for all contrast-enhanced body CT orders, which radiologists used when protocoling examinations. Data regarding CT orders and examinations performed were extracted from the electronic data warehouse. RESULTS. During the preintervention, first postintervention, and second postintervention periods, the mean number of patients who underwent contrast-enhanced CT per weekday was 726, 689, and 639, respectively (p for preintervention vs second postintervention periods, < .001). During the three periods, the mean number of patients who underwent CT per weekday was 1350, 1323, and 1314 (p < .001). During the three periods, the mean number of patients who underwent contrast-enhanced body CT per weekday was 561, 532, and 492 (p < .001). During the three periods, the mean number of orders for CT with IV contrast media per weekday was 154, 143, and 131 (p < .001). During the three periods, the mean number of orders for CT without IV contrast media per weekday was 196, 202, and 221 (p < .001). CONCLUSION. EHR order entry-based interventions implemented in response to the global contrast media shortage significantly reduced contrast-enhanced CT utilization in a large health system. CLINICAL IMPACT. The findings indicate the ability to rapidly achieve changes in ordering clinician behavior and subsequent clinical practice using systemwide EHR changes.

Fostering Patient-Centered Equitable Care in Radiology: AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review.

Patient-centered care (PCC) and equity are two of the six core domains of quality health care, according to the Institute of Medicine. Exceptional imaging care requires radiology practices to provide patient-centered (i.e., respectful and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values) and equitable (i.e., does not vary in quality on the basis of gender, ethnicity, geographic location, or socioeconomic status) care. Specific barriers that prevent the delivery of patient-centered equitable care include information gaps, breaches of trust, organizational medical culture, and financial incentives. Information gaps limit practitioners in understanding the lived experience of patients. Breaches of trust prevent patients from seeking needed medical care. Organizational medical cultures may not be centered around patient experiences. Financial incentives can impede practitioners' ability to spend the time and resources required to meet patient goals and needs. Intentional approaches that integrate core principles in both PCC and health equity are required to deliver high-quality patient-centered imaging care for diverse patient populations. The purpose of this AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review is to review the origins of the PCC movement in radiology, characterize connections between the PCC and health equity movements, and describe concrete examples of ways to foster patient-centered equitable care in radiology.

Beyond the Binary: Moving the Radiology Workforce Toward Gender Inclusion, From the AJR Special Series on DEI.

Gender representation in radiology has traditionally been evaluated and reported through binary models, accompanied by advocacy efforts focused on increasing the number of women in radiology. A paucity of data exists to understand the entire gender composition of the radiology workforce, including representation of people who are transgender and gender diverse. Further, little information exists on how to provide a supportive work environment for radiologists and support staff who identify as belonging to an underrepresented gender minority group. Intentional efforts to comprehensively understand the gender representation of the radiology workforce can help to establish a diverse workforce that is more representative of the patient populations that we serve, while promoting high-quality inclusive health care. Moving beyond gender binary thought and practices can help foster a culture of inclusion and belonging in radiology. This article provides practical steps that radiology practices can take to understand and support gender diversity beyond the binary in the radiology workforce, including providing definitions and inclusive language, understanding limitations of historical methods of gender data collection in radiology and relevant published literature, establishing best practices for future data collection, and developing a strategic vision with action items to create a more inclusive work environment.

Social Determinants of Health in Imaging-based Cancer Screening: A Case-based Primer with Strategies for Care Improvement.

Health disparities, preventable differences in the burden of disease and disease outcomes often experienced by socially disadvantaged populations, can be found in nearly all areas of radiology, including emergency radiology, neuroradiology, nuclear medicine, image-guided interventions, and imaging-based cancer screening. Disparities in imaging-based cancer screening are especially noteworthy given the far-reaching population health impact. The social determinants of health (SDoH) play an important role in disparities in cancer screening and outcomes. Through improved understanding of how SDoH can drive differences in health outcomes in radiology, radiologists can effectively provide patient-centered, high-quality, and equitable care. Radiologists and radiology practices can become active partners in efforts to assist patients along their imaging journey and overcome existing barriers to equitable cancer screening care for traditionally marginalized populations. As radiology exists at the intersection of diagnostic imaging, image-guided diagnostic intervention, and image-guided treatment, radiologists are uniquely positioned to design these strategies. Cost-effective and socially conscious strategies that address barriers to equitable care can improve both public health and equitable health outcomes. Potential strategies include championing supportive health policy, reducing out-of-pocket costs, increasing price transparency, improving education and outreach efforts, ensuring that appropriate language translation services are available, providing individualized assistance with appointment scheduling, and offering transportation assistance and childcare. ©RSNA, 2023 Quiz questions for this article are available in the supplemental material.

Community-based Participatory Research: A Practical Guide for Radiologists.

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is defined by the Kellogg Community Health Scholars Program as a collaborative process that equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each community member brings. The CBPR process begins with a research topic of importance to the community, with the goal of combining knowledge and action with social change to improve community health and eliminate health disparities. CBPR engages and empowers affected communities to collaborate in defining the research question; sharing the study design process; collecting, analyzing, and disseminating the data; and implementing solutions. A CBPR approach in radiology has several potential applications, including removing limitations to high-quality imaging, improving secondary prevention, identifying barriers to technology access, and increasing diversity in the research participation for clinical trials. The authors provide an overview with the definitions of CBPR, explain how to conduct CBPR, and illustrate its applications in radiology. Finally, the challenges of CBPR and useful resources are discussed in detail. ©RSNA, 2023 Quiz questions for this article are available in the supplemental material.

Abdominal Imaging Findings on Computed Tomography as a Tool for COVID-19 Mortality Risk Assessment: Comparison With Chest Radiograph Severity Scores.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the association between computed tomography abdomen and pelvis with contrast (CTAP) findings and chest radiograph (CXR) severity score, and the incremental effect of incorporating CTAP findings into predictive models of COVID-19 mortality. METHODS: This retrospective study was performed at a large quaternary care medical center. All adult patients who presented to our institution between March and June 2020 with the diagnosis of COVID-19 and had a CXR up to 48 hours before a CTAP were included. Primary outcomes were the severity of lung disease before CTAP and mortality within 14 and 30 days. Logistic regression models were constructed to quantify the association between CXR score and CTAP findings. Penalized logistic regression models and random forests were constructed to identify key predictors (demographics, CTAP findings, and CXR score) of mortality. The discriminatory performance of these models, with and without CTAP findings, was summarized using area under the characteristic (AUC) curves. RESULTS: One hundred ninety-five patients (median age, 63 years; 119 men) were included. The odds of having CTAP findings was 3.89 times greater when a CXR score was classified as severe compared with mild (P = 0.002). When CTAP findings were included in the feature set, the AUCs for 14-day mortality were 0.67 (penalized logistic regression) and 0.71 (random forests). Similar values for 30-day mortality were 0.76 and 0.75. When CTAP findings were omitted, all AUC values were attenuated. CONCLUSIONS: The CTAP findings were associated with more severe CXR score and may serve as predictors of COVID-19 mortality.

Lung cancer screening eligibility and use with low-dose computed tomography: Results from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: In randomized controlled trials, lung cancer screening with low-dose chest computed tomography (LCS) has been reported to reduce lung cancer mortality. Although initial studies suggested that only approximately 5% of eligible patients have undergone LCS, recent studies have indicated that use of LCS may be increasing nationwide. The objective of the current study was to estimate recent LCS use using cross-sectional survey data from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. METHODS: The BRFSS is a nationally representative, cross-sectional telephone survey of adults in the United States (response rate of approximately 50%). The 2018 BRFSS survey included questions regarding LCS eligibility and use in 8 states. The primary outcome was the percentage of participants (aged 55-79 years with a smoking history of >30 pack-years) who reported undergoing LCS. Logistic regression analyses evaluated the association between LCS use and sociodemographic characteristics, adjusted for potential confounders and accounting for complex survey design elements. RESULTS: A total of 26,910 participants were included, 9.9% of whom were eligible for LCS (95% CI, 8.8%-10.6%). Of the eligible patients, 19.2% reported undergoing LCS (95% CI, 14.0%-24.4%). Approximately 16.4% of current smokers were eligible for LCS (95% CI, 14.2%-18.6%). In our multiple variable analyses of eligible patients, age, sex, marital status, current smoking status, and race were not found to be associated with statistically significant differences in reported LCS (P > .05). Retired patients, patients with personal physicians, and patients who did not complete a high school education were more likely to report receiving LCS (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with previously published studies, the results of the current study suggested that LCS use is increasing. However, LCS use remains low (19%) among eligible participants.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Lung Cancer Screening Eligibility.

Background To address disparities in lung cancer screening (LCS) that may exclude large numbers of high-risk African American smokers, revised U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations lowered LCS eligibility thresholds. However, there are limited recent data about the impact of newly revised guidelines on disparities in LCS eligibility. Purpose To evaluate the impact of revised USPSTF guidelines on racial and ethnic disparities in LCS eligibility. Materials and Methods Cross-sectional survey data from 20 states were retrospectively evaluated from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey (median response rate, 49.4%). Respondents without a history of lung cancer aged 55-79 years (ie, under the previous guidelines) or aged 50-79 years (ie, under the revised guidelines) were included. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between race and ethnicity and LCS eligibility. All analyses were performed accounting for complex survey design features (ie, weighting, stratification, and clustering). Results Under previous guidelines, 11% of 67 567 weighted survey respondents were eligible for LCS (White [12%], Hispanic [4%], African American [7%], American Indian [17%], Asian or Pacific Islander [4%], and other [12%]). Under revised USPSTF guidelines, 14% of 77 689 weighted survey respondents were eligible for LCS (White [15%], Hispanic [5%], African American [9%], American Indian [21%), Asian or Pacific Islander [5%], and other [18%]). Compared with White respondents, African American respondents (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.47; P < .001) and Hispanic respondents (adjusted OR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.24; P < .001) were less likely to be eligible for LCS under previous guidelines. African American respondents (adjusted OR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.47; P < .001) and Hispanic respondents (adjusted OR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.23; P < .001) were less likely to be eligible under the revised guidelines. The Wald test showed no evidence of differences in the degree to which racial and ethnic minority groups were less likely to be eligible for LCS when comparing previous versus revised USPSTF guidelines (P = .76). Conclusion The revised U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines (version 2.0) may perpetuate lung cancer disparities, as racial and ethnic minority groups are still less likely to be eligible for lung cancer screening. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Jacobs and Springfield in this issue.

Analysis of socioeconomic and demographic factors and imaging exam characteristics associated with missed appointments in pediatric radiology.

BACKGROUND: Missed appointments can have an adverse impact on health outcomes by delaying appropriate imaging, which can be critical in influencing treatment decisions. OBJECTIVE: To assess for socioeconomic and imaging exam factors associated with missed appointments among children scheduled for diagnostic imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed children (<18 years) scheduled for outpatient diagnostic imaging during a 12-month period. In doing so, we obtained socioeconomic and radiology exam characteristics (modality, intravenous contrast administration, radiation and use of sedation) data from the electronic medical record. We employed multivariate logistic regression to assess the association of socioeconomic, demographic and imaging exam characteristics with imaging missed appointments. RESULTS: In total, 7,275 children met inclusion criteria. The mean age was 8.8 years (standard deviation [SD] = 6.2 years) and the study population consisted of 52% female gender, 69% White race, 38% adolescent age group and 32% with a median household income by ZIP-code category of <$50,000. Logistic regression showed increased likelihood of missed appointments among children of Black/African-American race (odds ratio [OR] = 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-2.5); with insurance categories including Medicaid (OR=2.0; 95% CI=1.6-2.4), self-pay (OR=2.1; 95% CI=1.3-3.6) and other (OR=2.7; 95% CI=1.3-5.4); with <$50,000 median household income by ZIP-code category (OR=1.7; 95% CI=1.4-2.0); and with examination wait time of 7-21 days (OR=2.7; 95% CI=2.1-3.5) and >21 days (OR=3.7; 95% CI=2.9-4.8). The use of radiation, intravenous contrast agent or sedation was not associated with increased likelihood of missed appointments. CONCLUSION: Expanding our knowledge of how different socioeconomic and imaging-related factors influence missed appointments among children can serve as a foundational step to better understand existing and emerging disparities and inform strategies to advance health equity efforts in radiology.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Disease Severity on Admission Chest Radiographs among Patients Admitted with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Disease severity on chest radiographs has been associated with higher risk of disease progression and adverse outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Few studies have evaluated COVID-19-related racial and/or ethnic disparities in radiology. Purpose To evaluate whether non-White minority patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infection presented with increased severity on admission chest radiographs compared with White or non-Hispanic patients. Materials and Methods This single-institution retrospective cohort study was approved by the institutional review board. Patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infection between March 17, 2020, and April 10, 2020, were identified by using the electronic medical record (n = 326; mean age, 59 years ±17 [standard deviation]; male-to-female ratio: 188:138). The primary outcome was the severity of lung disease on admission chest radiographs, measured by using the modified Radiographic Assessment of Lung Edema (mRALE) score. The secondary outcome was a composite adverse clinical outcome of intubation, intensive care unit admission, or death. The primary exposure was the racial and/or ethnic category: White or non-Hispanic versus non-White (ie, Hispanic, Black, Asian, or other). Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between mRALE scores and race and/or ethnicity. Results Non-White patients had significantly higher mRALE scores (median score, 6.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.4, 6.7) compared with White or non-Hispanic patients (median score, 4.2; 95% CI: 3.6, 4.9) (unadjusted average difference, 1.8; 95% CI: 0.9, 2.8; P < .01). For both White (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.3; 95% CI: 1.2, 1.4; P < .001) and non-White (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.2; 95% CI: 1.1, 1.3; P < .001) patients, increasing mRALE scores were associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing composite adverse outcome with no evidence of interaction (P = .16). Multivariable linear regression analyses demonstrated that non-White patients presented with higher mRALE scores at admission chest radiography compared with White or non-Hispanic patients (adjusted average difference, 1.6; 95% CI: 0.5, 2.7; P < .01). Adjustment for hypothesized mediators revealed that the association between race and/or ethnicity and mRALE scores was mediated by limited English proficiency (P < .01). Conclusion Non-White patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 infection were more likely to have a higher severity of disease on admission chest radiographs than White or non-Hispanic patients, and increased severity was associated with worse outcomes for all patients. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Frequency and Reliability of the Reversed Halo Sign in Patients With Septic Pulmonary Embolism Due to IV Substance Use Disorder.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to assess the "reversed halo" sign in patients with septic pulmonary embolism (PE) due to IV substance use disorder. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A retrospective analysis was performed of chest CT scans obtained between 2007 and 2017 that had findings of septic PE associated with IV substance use disorder. Inclusion criteria were history of IV substance use disorder, findings of septic PE on chest CT scans, and confirmation of infection. Image analysis was performed by three radiologists to assess the frequency, appearance, and evolution of the reversed halo sign. Interreader agreement to characterize the reversed halo sign was assessed using kappa statistical analysis. The chi-square test was used to correlate reversed halo sign shape with evolution on follow-up scans. RESULTS. Of 62 patients who met the inclusion criteria (54.8% women; mean age, 32.8 ± 8.3 [SD] years), 59.7% (37/62) had reversed halo signs (κ = 0.837-0.958, p < 0.0001). The mean number of unique reversed halo signs per patient was 2.1 ± 1.7 (46.7% of patients had more than one reversed halo sign). Of 78 unique reversed halo signs, 93.6% (73/78) were peripherally located and 51.3% (40/78) were located at the lower lobe, 52.6% (41/78) were pyramidal and 47.4% (37/78) were round shaped, 89.7% (70/78) had central low-attenuation areas, and 34.6% (27/78) had internal reticulations. Cavitation developed in 37.2% (29/78) of reversed halo signs and more often in pyramid-shaped ones (70.8%, 17/24), whereas consolidation occurred in 30.8% (24/78) and more often in round-shaped ones (58.6%; 17/29, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION. Septic PE should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with IV substance use disorder presenting with reversed halo sign. The reversed halo sign was reliably and frequently observed on the chest CT scans of patients with IV substance use disorder-related septic PE. Characteristics of reversed halo sign presentation were identified as potential features to differentiate septic PE from other causes of pulmonary infarct manifesting with reversed halo sign.

Challenges and Lessons Learned After Hurricane Maria: Learning Points for the Medical Student Community.

On September 20 of 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a strong category 4 hurricane with destructive winds and flooding. Everyone suffered in the aftermath of the hurricane due to overwhelming destruction and lack of available resources. For medical students, these conditions were intensified due to their duty as first responders, academic responsibilities from medical school, personal losses, and financial difficulties. Despite the hardships, these students learned lessons and found solutions to overcome their challenges. The objective of this article is to portray the situations that medical students confronted and offer suggestions on how medical students and academic institutions can prepare for future natural disasters.

Barriers to Lung Cancer Screening Engagement from the Patient and Provider Perspective.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose CT reduces mortality among high-risk current and former smokers and has been covered by public and private insurers without cost sharing since 2015. Patients and referring providers confront numerous barriers to participation in screening. To best serve in multidisciplinary efforts to expand LCS nationwide, radiologists must be knowledgeable of these challenges. A better understanding of the difficulties confronted by other stakeholders will help radiologists continue to collaboratively guide the growth of LCS programs in their communities. This article reviews barriers to participation in LCS for patients and referring providers, as well as possible solutions and interventions currently underway.

Establishing effective patient navigation programs in oncology.

PURPOSE: Recent advances in cancer treatment have resulted in greatly improved survival, and yet many patients in the USA have not benefited due to poor access to healthcare and difficulty accessing timely care across the cancer care continuum. Recognizing these issues and the need to facilitate discussions on how to improve navigation services for patients with cancer, the National Cancer Policy Forum of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) held a workshop entitled, "Establishing Effective Patient Navigation Programs in Oncology. The purpose of this manuscript is to disseminate the conclusions of this workshop while providing a clinically relevant review of patient navigation in oncology. DESIGN: Narrative literature review and summary of workshop discussions RESULTS: Patient navigation has been shown to be effective at improving outcomes throughout the spectrum of cancer care. Work remains to develop consensus on scope of practice and evaluation criteria and to align payment incentives and policy. CONCLUSION: Patient navigation plays an essential role in overcoming patient- and system-level barriers to improve access to cancer care and outcomes for those most in need.

Accuracy and timeliness of an abbreviated emergency department MRCP protocol for choledocholithiasis.

PURPOSE: To determine the diagnostic accuracy and time savings of an abbreviated magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (A-MRCP) protocol for detecting choledocholithiasis in patients visiting the emergency department (ED) for suspected biliary obstruction. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This retrospective study evaluated adult patients (ages 18+ years) visiting an academic Level 1 trauma center between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2017, who were imaged with MRCP for suspected biliary obstruction. Patients were scanned with either a four-sequence A-MRCP protocol or a conventional eight-sequence MRCP (C-MRCP) protocol. Image acquisition and MRI room time were compared. The radiology report was used to determine whether a study was limited by motion or prematurely aborted, as well as for the presence of pertinent biliary findings. Diagnostic accuracy of A-MRCP studies were compared with any available endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) report within 30 days. RESULTS: One hundred sixteen patients met inclusion criteria; 85 were scanned with the A-MRCP protocol (45.9% male, mean 57.4 years) and 31 with the C-MRCP protocol (38.7% male, mean 58.3 years). Mean image acquisition time and MRI room time for the A-MRCP protocol were significantly lower compared to those for the C-MRCP protocol (16 and 34 min vs. 42 and 61 min, both p < 0.0001). Choledocholithiasis was seen in 23.5% of A-MRCP cases and 19.4% of C-MRCP cases. Non-biliary findings were common in both cohorts, comprising 56.5% of A-MRCP cases and 41.9% of C-MRCP cases. 44.7% of A-MRCP patients received subsequent (diagnostic or therapeutic) ERCP (mean follow-up time 3 days), in which A-MRCP accurately identified choledocholithiasis in 86.8% of cases, with sensitivity of 85%, specificity of 88.9%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 89.5%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 84.2%. In comparison, 38.7% of C-MRCP patients underwent ERCP (mean follow-up of 2.3 days) with an accuracy of 91.7%, sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 100%, PPV of 100%, and NPV of 87.5%. Only 4.7% of A-MRCP exams demonstrated motion artifact vs. 12.9% of C-MRCP exams. One study was prematurely aborted due to patient discomfort in the A-MRCP cohort while no studies were terminated in the C-MRCP cohort. CONCLUSION: An abbreviated MRCP protocol to evaluate for choledocholithiasis provides significant time savings and reduced motion artifact over the conventional MRCP protocol while providing similar diagnostic accuracy.