Structured Reporting in IR

Abstract

As with many fields of medicine, structured and systematic documentation of medical records, particularly with records concerning complex procedures with the potential for complications, remains a very important topic in the field of interventional radiology (IR). Broadly speaking, a structured report consists of a medical procedural report with itemized categories denoted by specific headings, followed by information pertaining to the procedure that falls into each category (Society of Interventional Radiology, Frequently asked questions about standardized reports, 2022; Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) and SIR Foundation, Standardized report—dialysis fistula interventions (version 3), 2019). Recently, much research has been centered around the development of standardized templates to create a common language between and among interventional radiologists, as well as non-radiologists; the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) introduced VIRTEX in 2021 in the pursuit of this task (Society of Interventional Radiology, VIRTEX SIR Data Registry, 2022). VIRTEX provides a standardized data registry system that all IR physicians can use to enter and access a wide range of clinical data related to the field, including but not limited to vascular radiology (peripheral vascular disease and venous thromboembolism), biopsy and tissue sampling, central venous catheterization, and arterial embolization (Society of Interventional Radiology, VIRTEX SIR Data Registry, 2022). The usage of VIRTEX encourages IR practitioners to adopt structured reporting in order to more efficiently submit data (Society of Interventional Radiology, VIRTEX SIR Data Registry, 2022).