Open access neuroimaging for general practitioners--diagnostic yield and influence on patient management.

Abstract

This study assessed the first year of a regional general practitioner (GP) open-access neuroimaging service, to determine diagnostic yield and influence on patient management. Overall, 48.1% of examinations demonstrated a radiologically significant abnormality with 64.1% of spinal imaging examinations demonstrating significant findings. Utilised appropriately, a regional open-access neuroimaging service has good diagnostic yield and may influence the management of most referred patients.