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Original Research

Lumbar MR Imaging and Reporting Epidemiology: Do Epidemiologic Data in Reports Affect Clinical Management?

Published Online:Mar 1 2012https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.11110618

Abstract

Patients with low back pain or radiculopathy were significantly less likely to receive a prescription for narcotics if the patient's MR imaging report included a statement describing the prevalence of common findings in asymptomatic individuals.

Purpose

To retrospectively examine the association between the inclusion of epidemiologic information in lumbar spine magnetic resonance (MR) imaging reports regarding findings in asymptomatic individuals and the rates of subsequent cross-sectional imaging and treatments in patients with low back pain or radiculopathy referred for imaging by primary care providers.

Materials and Methods

Institutional review board approval was received for a retrospective chart review, with waiver of informed consent and HIPAA authorization. During 3 years, an epidemiologic statement was routinely but arbitrarily included in lumbar spine MR imaging reports. Two hundred thirty-seven reports documenting uncomplicated degenerative changes on initial lumbar spine MR images were identified, 71 (30%) of which included the statement (statement group) and 166 (70%) did not (nonstatement group). The rates of repeat cross-sectional imaging and treatments within 1 year were compared between groups by using logistic regression controlling for severity of MR imaging findings.

Results

Patients in the statement group were significantly less likely to receive a prescription for narcotics for their symptoms than patients in the nonstatement group (odds ratio = 0.29, P = .01). Repeat cross-sectional imaging and physical therapy referrals were also less common in the statement group than in the nonstatement group (odds ratio = 0.22 and 0.55, respectively), but these differences were not statistically significant (P = .14 and .06, respectively). Rates of steroid injections, surgical consultations, and surgeries were similar between groups.

Conclusion

Patients were less likely to receive narcotics prescriptions from primary care providers when epidemiologic information was included in their lumbar spine MR imaging reports.

© RSNA, 2012

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Article History

Received March 24, 2011; revision requested May 12; revision received September 14; accepted September 29; final version accepted October 17.
Published online: Mar 2012
Published in print: Mar 2012