Purpose: To assess the benefit of active physician involvement in ultrasound (US) examinations.
Materials and methods: Concordance of findings by technologists and physicians was assessed prospectively for examinations of 1,510 consecutive patients who underwent US during regular working hours.
Results: Overall concordance was generally good (74%). However, in cases in which a major or minor new diagnosis was made from the US scan, concordance rates were substantially lower (36% and 32%, respectively). Agreement varied with the type of examination. The discordance rate for obstetric examinations (17%) was only half that for abdominal and pelvic examinations (31%). Concordance improved with increasing years of experience of the technologist.
Conclusion: An active role of physicians in the overall conduct of US examinations is essential to optimize provision of a complete, accurate report.