Adequacy of Head CT Scan Request Form Completion for Non-trauma Neurological Cases at a Teaching Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq: A Clinical Audit

Objective To determine whether the clinical and demographic data recorded on head CT scan request forms for patients with non-trauma neurological issues at the Baghdad Teaching Hospital emergency department are adequate, and to explore if the process of completing radiology request forms can be improved through specific interventions. Methodology A clinical audit was conducted in two cycles. Data were collected from head CT request forms for patients presenting with suspected non-traumatic neurological issues to the emergency room. In the first cycle, data were gathered retrospectively over one month in January 2025. The data were reviewed and analyzed, and then interventions were implemented to enhance quality. The second cycle took place over one month (April 2025) to objectively evaluate the success of these interventions by comparing the adequacy of relevant information before and after their implementation. Results Four hundred one patients were included in the first cycle, with 65.58% of their requests having inadequate clinical information. After implementing the interventions, 30.28% of the 383 patients in the second cycle had insufficient clinical information. The patient demographics were mainly complete, except for age and the time and date of the CT scan request, which showed significant improvement. Conclusion The audit study reveals that the implemented interventions significantly improved the radiology request forms by ensuring they contain adequate demographic and clinical information. Ongoing efforts are essential to sustain good practices in completing the radiology request forms.