Quality of referrals and adherence to guidelines for adult patients with minimal to moderate head injuries in a selection of Norwegian hospitals.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess adherence to the Scandinavian guidelines, the justification of referrals, and the quality of referrals of patients with mild, minimal, and moderate head injuries in a selection of Norwegian hospitals.

Methods: We collected 283 head CT referrals for head trauma patients at one hospital trust in Norway in 2022. The data included the patients' sex, age, and the referral text.

Success factors for interventions to reduce low-value imaging. Six crucial lessons learned from a practical case study in Norway.

Background: Substantial overuse of health care services is identified and intensified efforts are incited to reduce low-value services in general and in imaging in particular.

Objective: To report crucial success factors for developing and implementing interventions to reduce specific low-value imaging examinations based on a case study in Norway.

Materials And Methods: Mixed methods design including one systematic review, one scoping review, implementation science, qualitative interviews, content analysis of stakeholders' input, and stakeholder deliberations.

Reducing low-value imaging-A qualitative evaluation of a pilot intervention in Norway.

Rational: Low-value radiological imaging threatens patient safety and efficient use of limited health resources. It is important to evaluate measures for reducing low-value utilisation, to learn and to improve. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to qualitatively evaluate a pilot intervention for reducing low-value imaging in Norway.

Norwegian general practitioners' and radiologists' perspectives on the referral, justification, and unnecessary imaging-a survey.

Aim: This study aimed to survey general practitioners' (GPs) and radiologists' perspectives on referrals, imaging justification, and unnecessary imaging in Norway.

Materials And Methods: The survey covered access to imaging, responsibilities, attitudes toward justification assessment, referral process, and demographics using multiple choice questions, statements to report agreement with using the Likert scale and one open question.

Results: Forty radiologists and 58 GPs attending national conferences completed a web-based survey, with a 20/15% response rate, respectively.

Sustainability in healthcare by reducing low-value imaging - A narrative review.

Objectives: This narrative review aims to present the concept of value in imaging and explore why we conduct low-value procedures, how to reduce this wasteful use, and what we could gain from reducing low-value imaging.

Key Findings: Imaging of low value to the patient contributes to thousands of metric tons of CO emissions, costing several billion US dollars annually. With a 20% reduction in low-value imaging, we would reduce the waste of resources related to 7.

Temporal and geographical variations in diagnostic imaging in Norway.

Background: Unwarranted temporal and geographical variations are acknowledged as a profound problem for equal access and justice in the provision of health services. Even more, they challenge the quality, safety, and efficiency of such services. This is highly relevant for imaging services.

Low-value MRI of the knee in Norway: a register-based study to identify the proportion of potentially low-value MRIs and estimate the related costs.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate the proportion of potentially low-value knee MRI in Norway and to provide an estimate of the related costs.

Design: Register study based on conditional data extraction and analysis of data from Control and Reimbursement of Healthcare Claims registry in Norway.

Setting: MRI in public specialist healthcare with universal health coverage (Norway).

Cost of Low-Value Imaging Worldwide: A Systematic Review.

Background And Objective: Imaging with low or no benefit for the patient undermines the quality of care and amounts to vast opportunity costs. More than 3.6 billion imaging examinations are performed annually, and about 20-50% of these are of low value.

Variations in wait times for imaging services: a register-based study of self-reported wait times for specific examinations in Norway.

Background: While the number of medical images has increased substantially, the demand has outpaced access, resulting in long wait times in many countries. Long wait times are a key problem for patient safety and quality of care as they can result in prolonged suffering, delayed diagnosis and treatment, as well as poorer prognosis and loss of lives. Surprisingly, little is known about wait times for imaging services.

Drivers for low-value imaging: a qualitative study of stakeholders' perspectives in Norway.

Background: One kind of overutilization of diagnostic imaging is low-value imaging, i.e., imaging that does not lead to altered clinical pathways or improved health outcomes.

The use of low-value imaging: the role of referral practice and access to imaging services in a representative area of Norway.

Background: Even though imaging is essential to modern medicine, some examinations are of low value as they do not lead to any change in the management of the patient. The Choosing Wisely (CW) campaign aims to reduce the use of such services. In the Norwegian version of CW, specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head, lower back, and knee are amongst others identified as potential low-value examinations.

Gastrointestinal hormones and appetite ratings after weight loss induced by diet or bariatric surgery.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare changes in gastrointestinal hormones and appetite ratings after a similar weight loss induced by a very low-energy diet alone or in combination with sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).

Methods: Patients with severe obesity scheduled for SG (n = 15) and RYGB (n = 14) and 15 controls (very low-energy diet alone) were recruited. Body weight/composition, plasma concentrations of ß-hydroxybutyric acid, acylated ghrelin, total glucagon-like peptide-1, total peptide YY, cholecystokinin, and ratings of hunger, fullness, desire to eat, and prospective food consumption were measured pre- and postprandially, before and after 10 weeks of intervention.

Changes in hedonic hunger and food reward after a similar weight loss induced by a very low-energy diet or bariatric surgery.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare changes in hedonic hunger and food reward in individuals with severe obesity achieving 10% to 15% weight loss with a very low-energy diet (VLED) alone or VLED and bariatric surgery.

Methods: Patients scheduled for sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) initiated a VLED 2 weeks prior to surgery and continued the diet for 8 weeks postoperatively. BMI-matched controls underwent a VLED for 10 weeks.