MODALITY: Breast
SUBJECT: Repeat Breast MRI Exams
DATE: 4/23/09
ORIGINATOR: Chris Wahl, B.S., RT(R)(MR)
Purpose: Ensure repeat breast MRI exams are done in a timely manner and allow proper follow-up of procedures, as well as appropriate communication with the referring physician.
If a radiologist is assigned an exam and deems the exam un-interpretable the following steps are to be followed:
1. The interpreting physician should:
* edit the study notes (under radiologist section) to indicate why the study needs to
be repeated
* assign study to 9a Chief Tech
* verbally notify the site Chief Tech
2. The site chief technologist is to email scheduling through the “MRM repeat” distribution group.
3. The patient needs to be rescheduled within 2-3 days at the Winkler (RPET) office regardless of cycle. Once the patient is rescheduled, Scheduling will notify the site Chief Tech of date and location of rescheduled exam. Scheduling shall make 3 attempts to contact the patient.
4. After 3 attempts (1 per day), if the patient is not rescheduled scheduling will fax the referring physician and inform the referring physician needs to return and our attempts to reschedule have not been successful. Scheduling shall email the site Chief Technologist. The site Chief Technologist shall refer to step 6 below.
5. The site Chief Tech needs to keep a site list of any repeat breast MRI, to include: name/ID number/reason/date of reschedule/assisting breast MRI radiologist.
6. Once the patient has returned the site Chief Tech may check that patient off of their list.
7. If the patient does not show or refuses to return, the site Chief Tech should assign the original exam to one of that day’s scheduled breast MRI readers, providing the pertinent information regarding why the study needs dictation, and necessary additional breast studies required for interpretation. The appropriate NO SHOW/RESCHEDULED protocol sheet should be faxed to the referring physician’s office.
8. The interpreting radiologist of any limited study will need to notify the ordering physician of the reason why the repeat was not performed and the impression of the limited study.
9. If the patient reschedules the repeat breast MRI, site Chief Tech needs to document the rescheduled repeat date/location and follow-up to ensure the exam was performed.
10. The site Chief Tech will then ask one of the scheduled breast MRI readers to contact the referring physician and inform them of the patient-rescheduled repeat date, and reason why the original study was un-interpretable.