Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most used diagnostic tool for pre-operative assessment of anal fistula. However, there is lack of standardization in reporting this investigation. Moreover, reports may miss a number of key information for surgical planning. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness, reproducibility, and acceptability of a new template for reporting anal fistula, which may favor standardization in clinical practice and inform surgical decision making.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
100
Magnetic resonance imaging
Treviso Regional Hospital
Treviso, Italy
Effectiveness of the novel template compared to standard reporting based on the number of key descriptors
Time frame: 60 days
Inter-rater agreement between two independent experienced radiologists using the novel template
Time frame: 7 days
Qualitative analysis
The 100 MRI investigations (100 original reports and 100 using the novel template) are sent to 20 experienced surgeons (10 randomly selected reports per surgeon, of which 5 reported conventionally and 5 using the novel template), who will complete a semistructured e-mail interview to collect in-depth information about any barriers and facilitators to implementation of the novel template, and ultimately explore surgical decision making.
Time frame: 30 days
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