Neuroradiological Assessment of Referrals for MR Brain Scan: Our Experience

The growing demand for brain MR scans in recent years has led to long waiting lists and indiscriminate referral with respect to the clinical need for imaging and appropriateness criteria for MR scanning. To overcome this problem, the Bologna Public Health Service in conjunction with S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital devised an experimental project instituting a radiological assessment prior to booking MR scans, implemented on 1st November 2003. The assessment is carried out by doctors in the Radiology and neuroradiology units to establish whether referral for MR scan is appropriate and to draw up a priority scale for access to MR diagnosis. If MR investigation is deemed inappropriate, the project provides for an alternative procedure or specialist clinical examination. The patient is admitted to the charge of the service and followed throughout the diagnostic work-up, i.e. the doctor undertaking the assessment will prescribe a possible specialist clinical consultation or other radiological procedures, generally...