NWT health authority to review more than 2,000 radiology exams
Second look at diagnostic imaging ordered after Stanton staff read about former colleague in B.C. media reports
Kirsten Fenn
Northern News Services
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The NWT Health and Social Services Authority is reviewing 2,355 CT scans, X-rays, ultrasounds and mammograms after learning a radiologist who formerly worked at Stanton Territorial Hospital may have read them incorrectly.
Sue Cullen, chief executive officer of the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority, left, and Les Harrison, executive director of clinical integration, brief the media about a review of more than 2,000 diagnostic imaging exams performed at Stanton Territorial Hospital. - Kirsten Fenn/NNSL photo |
Approximately 1,491 patients are affected by the review, which will take a second look at exams completed between Dec. 18, 2015 to Jan. 25, 2016 and May 6 to 16, 2016.
Sue Cullen, chief executive officer of the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority, said the authority learned about the issue on March 2 after reading media reports about a radiologist in B.C. whose practices were in question. The health authority doesn't know whether the man's practices are under review in B.C., but made the decision to do its own "due diligence" after Stanton staff recognized the man as their former colleague.
"We are not aware at this time of any inaccuracies with regard to this physician's practice or any diagnostic images that were read or interpreted by this physician," said Cullen.
She said she could not name the radiologist for legal reasons, but said he worked at Stanton temporarily between Dec. 19, 2015 and Jan. 23, 2016, and May 8 to 14, 2016.
"We are working with a contractor who already provides radiology interpretation services for us in the Northwest Territories and they will be reviewing our ... cases," Cullen said.
Additional radiologists will be brought in to review the exams at Stanton over the next several weeks, with the goal of completing them by June, said Les Harrison, executive director of clinical integration for the health authority.
"If any errors are found with respect to these exams, we would be contacting those individuals immediately," Harrison said. "We would be working on the most appropriate course of care for them."
That could mean new exams or coming up with a "clinical plan" for the patient, he said.
A misdiagnosis can always pose a risk to patients, Cullen explained, but stressed that doesn't necessarily mean the exams being reviewed were interpreted incorrectly.
"It also doesn't mean that it will result in negative clinical concerns or impacts to individuals examined," she said.
Cullen said most of the people affected by the review are believed to be from Yellowknife, although people from the communities could also be affected.
"As we start the review, I think we'll be able to better understand that," Cullen said.
Any resident who does have concerns is urged to contact their health care provider.
Going forward, the health authority also plans to implement a peer review process for exams to improve quality assurance for patients.
