Prevalence of inadequate completion of computed tomography request forms submitted to public and private medical imaging centres in Ashanti Region of Ghana: a retrospective audit

Abstract

Introduction : Medical imaging facilities provide an important healthcare service under which physicians can make diagnosis and administer care and treatment to patients. However, computed tomography (CT) scan request forms submitted to medical imaging facilities are usually inadequately completed. The aim of the current study was to determine the prevalence of inadequately documented CT-scan request forms submitted to public and private medical imaging centres in Ghana. Methods A retrospective audit of CT-scan request forms was conducted. The study was conducted in two medical imaging facilities (public and private) in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Ghana. The CT-scan request forms submitted between 1st January to 30th December 2021 were reviewed. Data was collected using an extraction form designed based on the literature. The data extraction form collected the following variables: patient demographics; clinical information; referring physician information; and procedure information. Descriptive analyses were undertaken. Log-linear regression model was used to calculate rate ratio and 95% confidence interval for prevalence of completeness across the CT-scan request forms. Results A total of 480 CT-scan request forms were reviewed (240 from each medical imaging centre). More than half (n = 121, 50.4%) of the patients in the public and 62.5% (n = 150) in the private medical imaging centre were males. The mean age of patients was 49.5 ± 19.6 year. The overall prevalence of inadequately completing CT-scan request forms was 0.752% (95% CI: 0.719–0.787; p < 0.001). Reasons for referral were documented on 391 (81.5%) of the CT-scan request forms, which was highest in the private medical imaging centre (n = 232, 96.7%). Conclusion The prevalence of inadequately completing patient demographic, clinical and physician information on CT-scan request forms is alarming. Efforts to eliminating barriers to inadequately completing CT-scan request forms will require deliberate organisational system strengthening.