Sensitivity and Specificity of General Practitioners Reading of Early Stage Pneumoconiosis Radiographs
Keywords:
Silicosis, ILO classification, chest radiograph, sensitivity, general practitionerAbstract
Objective: This study was aimed to find out the sensitivity and specificity in reading early stage pneumoconiotic radiographs by general practitioners (GP).
Materials and Method: A screening test was applied.Twenty three of 43 GPs from Nakhon Ratchasima province consented to join the study. The test radiographs consisted of 67 normal and early stage pneumoconiotic films. Before testing, all participants were introduced to basic ILO reading for 65 minutes by 3 B-reader ILO pneumoconiosis experts. The cut-point for disease was set at profusion 0/1 and 1/0. Mean sensitivity and specificity for small opacities detection was analyzed.
Results: The median sensitivity of ILO profusion 0/1 or above was 92% (IQR 8), the median sensitivity of 1/0 cut-point film was slightly lower at90% (IQR 15.79), while the median specificity for ILO profusion 0/1 or above was 19.51% (IQR 9.52). When stepping the cut-point to profusion 1/0, the median specificity increased to 34.29% (SD 16.46).
Conclusion: This study showed that general practitioners were able to interpret chest radiographs of workers who have had early stage pneumconiotic radiographs. Therefore, chest X-ray reading skill development for GPshas value for the surveillance system in this country.
