Congress:
EuroSafe Imaging 2019
Keywords:
Action 1 - Guidelines, implementation policies, and Clinical Decision Support (ESR iGuide), Action 8 - Radiation protection training and learning material, Computer applications, eHealth, Professional issues, RIS, Computer Applications-General, Radiation safety, Quality assurance
Authors:
B. Brkljacic, L. Donoso
DOI:
10.26044/esi2019/ESI-0121
Background/introduction
ESR iGuide is a clinical decision support (CDS) system that uses imaging referral guidelines developed by the European Society of Radiology (ESR) and based on the American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria (ACR AC).
ESR iGuide is the solution to make imaging referral guidelines available and easily usable in Europe,
making actionable guidance available to referring physicians at the point of care.
The ESR advocates the use of CDS integrated into existing imaging referral workflows to support healthcare providers with evidence-based guidelines,
aimed at utilising medical imaging more efficiently and appropriately for the benefit of patients.
In addition to maintaining the ESR iGuide content,
since late 2018 the ESR also distributes the software under a restructured licensing arrangement with platform provider National Decision Support Ccompany (NDSC) concluded in September 2018.
Follwing NDSC's takeover by ChangeHealthcare in early 2018,
NDSC and the ESR decided that the best way to guarantee the successful ESR iGuide adoption in Europe would be to assign all the required rights to the society.
The ESR's Quality and Safety in Imaging GmbH (QSI) assumed all responsibilities for licensing ESR iGuide.
The collaboration on referral guidelines and appropriate use criteria between the ESR and ACR was not affected by this change.
At ECR 2018,
the ESR launched the ESR iGuide web portal,
widening access to the ESR’s referral guidelines for over 1,800 clinical indications.
The portal also provides an option for EU member states to comply with the Basic Safety Standards Directive (2013/59/Euratom) and other countries in implementing the recommendations of the international basic safety standards for radiation protection and safety of radiation sources,
published by the IAEA in 2014.
The ESR iGuide portal can be accessed through individual,
institutional or country-wide licenses,
including the option of a fully translated user interface and content.
Users can consult evidence-based guidance through two simple workflow options and obtain immediate feedback on which imaging test has the highest diagnostic appropriateness for the selected clinical indication.
ESR’s latest guideline edition was released in ESR iGuide in February 2018.
This content version includes almost 700 new scenarios and indications,
including dedicated content for oncologic and paediatric imaging.
The next content version is planned for release in Q2 2019.
The ESR's guidelines are reviewed and developed by a group of ESR experts,
on the basis of the ACR AC and ACR Select content.
The original project group was established as a permanent ESR Working Group on Imaging Referral Guidelines (IRG WG) at ECR 2016 and was transformed into the ESR Referral Guidelines Subcommittee (RGSC) in summer 2018.
This change reflects the permanent importance of the work on referral guidelines as part of the ESR’s mission.