Optimizing Electronic Release of Imaging Results through an Online Patient Portal.

Purpose To determine an optimal embargo period preceding release of radiologic test results to an online patient portal. Materials and Methods This prospective discrete choice conjoint survey with modified orthogonal design was administered to patients by trained interviewers at four outpatient sites and two institutions from December 2016 to February 2018. Three preferences for receiving imaging results associated with a possible or known cancer diagnosis were evaluated: delay in receipt of results (1, 3, or 14 days), method of receipt (online portal, physician's office, or phone), and condition of receipt (before, at the same time as, or after health care provider). Preferences (hereafter, referred to as utilities) were derived from parameter estimates (ß) of multinomial regression stratified according to study participant and choice set. Results Among 464 screened participants, the response and completion rates were 90.5% (420 of 464) and 99.5% (418 of 420), respectively. Participants preferred faster receipt of results (P < .001) from their physician (P < .001) over the telephone (P < .001). Each day of delay decreased preference by 13 percentage points. Participants preferred immediate receipt of results through an online portal (utility, -.57) if made to wait more than 6 days to get results in the office and more than 11 days to get results by telephone. Compared with receiving results in their physician's office on day 7 (utility, -.60), participants preferred immediate release through the online portal without physician involvement if followed by a telephone call within 6 days (utility, -0.49) or an office visit within 2 days (utility, -.53). Older participants preferred physician-directed communication (P < .001). Conclusion The optimal embargo period preceding release of results through an online portal depends on the timing of traditional telephone- and office-based styles of communication. © RSNA, 2018 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Arenson et al in this issue.

A Retrospective Analysis of 287 Patients Undergoing Prophylactic Radiation Therapy for the Prevention of Heterotopic Ossification.

PURPOSE: Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a potentially disabling disorder of ectopic bone formation secondary to orthopedic surgery or trauma. In this retrospective analysis we evaluated the outcomes of patients who received radiation therapy (RT) for HO prophylaxis. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 287 patients who received RT for HO prophylaxis at a major trauma center from 2007 to 2018 were analyzed. Data collected included types of injury, surgery, time intervals between key events, development of postprophylaxis HO, and secondary malignancies. Associations between various factors and the risk of developing HO were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate failure rates. RESULTS: The most common indication for RT was traumatic acetabular fracture (83.3%). Twelve patients (4.2%) developed postprophylaxis HO with a median time to failure of 8.6 months (2.8-24.5). Kaplan-Meier 1-, 2-, and 5-year failure rates were 3.7%, 4.4%, and 7.4%, respectively. Injury type and timing of RT were not associated with the risk of failure, but we observed a trend of increased risk of failure in patients with longer time between surgery and RT (odd ration [OR] 1.68, P = .056). Current or former smokers (51.7%) were less likely to fail (OR 0.10, P = .03). There was no incidence of in-field secondary malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant association between injury and fracture type, surgical approach, or timing of RT and development of HO, contrary to published reports of increased HO risk with certain surgical approaches and longer time intervals between injury and surgery, suggesting that prophylactic RT might play a role in mitigating these effects. Decreased risk of postprophylaxis HO among former or current smokers was unexpected. No secondary malignancy in the RT field was identified, although the median follow-up was only 17 months. Compared with published HO incidences (17%-39%) in patients who receive no prophylaxis after traumatic acetabular fractures, our results are highly suggestive of the efficacy of prophylactic RT.

Radiology in the Study of Bone Physiology.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: In this article, we review the core principles of bone physiology alongside imaging examples that demonstrate such principles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The core principles of bone physiology are reviewed and further solidified with a corresponding abnormal pathophysiologic example. The key principles of bone physiology to be reviewed include the following: (1) formation and growth, (2) maintenance and repair, (3) metabolism and regulation, and (4) neoplastic disease. Lastly, a collection of secondary bone diseases is presented to demonstrate the skeletal manifestations of numerous systemic diseases. With this integrative method, we hope to emphasize the value of using radiology to teach physiology within a clinical context. This is especially relevant now, as many US medical schools undergo curricular reform with more emphasis on integrative interdisciplinary learning. Ultimately, we intend to provide a paradigm for incorporating radiology into the pre-clinical medical curriculum through a review of basic science physiology that underlies key radiographic findings of the skeletal system. RESULTS: Radiology is known for its role in helping make diagnoses and clinical decisions. However, radiology is also well suited to enhance medical education by offering the ability to visualize physiology in action. This is especially true in skeletal radiology, where radiographic osseous changes represent a wide range of physiological processes. Therefore, skeletal radiology can be a useful tool for illustrating concepts of physiology that underlie the normal and abnormal radiologic appearances of bone. CONCLUSION: Radiology is an important but underutilized tool for demonstrating concepts in bone physiology.