Improving the Quality of MRI Reports of Preoperative Patients With Rectal Cancer: Effect of National Guidelines and Structured Reporting

OBJECTIVE. Since the implementation of new guidelines for rectal cancer in The Netherlands in April 2014, clinical stage as seen at preoperative MRI indicates whether neoadjuvant therapy is necessary before rectal cancer surgery. Therefore, the importance of correct MRI interpretation has increased. The aim of this study was to evaluate the completeness of MRI reports of rectal cancer and the effect of implementation of the new guidelines and standardized reporting on the completeness of these reports. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Data were collected from all patients who consecutively underwent rectal cancer surgery at one hospital between January 2011 and July 2017. Data were extracted from electronic patient records. RESULTS. The study included 492 MRI examinations. Before implementation of the new guidelines, a median of 4 of 10 items (interquartile range [IQR], 3–6 items) were described in each MRI report. After implementation of the new guidelines, the number of items described improved significantly (med...