September 09, 2021

What’s New in Registry Research?

In an effort to promote quality improvement in radiology, the ACR® launched a one-stop portal to request analysis of data collected in the National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR®).

Through the NRDR Data Access and Publications Policy, data are made available to interested parties for purposes of exploring practice trends, identifying care gaps and identifying opportunities for improvement.

Here are just some of the research papers using NRDR data that have been published or are in the works.

2020 Research Recognized

Risk-Based Screening Mammography for Women Aged <40: Outcomes From the National Mammography Database, Cindy S. Lee, MD, lead author.

Highlights: Recipient of the JACR® "Best of 2020” award. This research utilizing NMD registry data was chosen by a committee of the JACR Editorial Board as the best article published in the Journal within the Health Services Research and Policy category last year (2020).

Papers Published in 2021

Radiologist Characteristics Associated with Interpretive Performance of Screening Mammography: A National Mammography Database (NMD) Study, Cindy S. Lee, MD, lead author; collaborative publication with the Neiman Health Policy Institute.

Summary: Across radiologists nationally, geography, breast sub-specialization and performance of diagnostic mammography are associated with better screening mammography performance; performance of breast US is associated with lower performance. Study was based on evaluation of data from over 1,000 radiologists in the ACR National Mammography Database (NMD) from 2008 to 2019.

Radiation Dose Reduction in Kidney Stone CT: A Randomized, Facility-Based Intervention, Christopher L. Moore, MD, lead author.

Summary: Use of ACR Dose Index Registry (DIR) data to test an intervention for improving adoption of reduced-radiation dose CT protocols for kidney stone CT (KSCT). The study found that the Dose Optimization for Stone Evaluation intervention resulted in a significant and persistent reduction in mean radiation doses for engaged facilities performing KSCTs.

Abstracts Accepted in 2021 — Papers in Progress

"The American College of Radiology Fluoroscopy Dose Index Registry Pilot: Dose Indices From Fluoroscopically-Guided Interventional Procedures,” A. Kyle Jones, PhD, DABR, FAAPM, lead author.

Summary: DIR summary data from interventional procedure information was submitted to the DIR Fluoroscopy module. Accepted for presentation in November at RSNA 2021.

"Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) and Achievable Doses (ADs) for Pediatric CT Examinations in the United States,” Kalpana M. Kanal, PhD, lead author.

Summary: This abstract discusses the development of robust, current, national DRLs and ADs for the 10 most commonly performed pediatric CT examinations as a function of patient age and size from DIR data. Accepted for presentation in November at RSNA 2021.

More NRDR Research

Visit NRDR Publications to read more NRDR articles and explore the results of NRDR data research.