The High Cost of Missed Follow-Ups in Vascular and Emergency Care
In high-stakes specialties like vascular surgery and emergency medicine, timely follow-up is essential. According to the ACR Appropriateness Criteria®, abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) measuring 3–5.4 cm require routine surveillance imaging—typically every 6–12 months—while those ≥5.0 cm necessitate urgent assessment. Yet in many institutions, communication gaps and documentation lapses continue to jeopardize timely care.
This blog explores how one Midwestern teaching hospital used a customized workflow powered by Radloop Actionable Findings (Radloop AF) to create systemic diligence and prevent a critical AAA case from being overlooked—demonstrating the real-world value of flexible, AI-augmented care coordination. It’s part of our series exploring how AI can enhance radiology workflows and prevent care gaps.
A Real Case: How Radloop Caught What the System Missed
Day 1: Emergency Department Visit
A 72-year-old woman with a known infrarenal AAA presented with nonspecific abdominal pain. A CT scan showed the aneurysm measured 4.6 x 4.7 cm. No immediate signs of rupture were noted, and the patient was under surveillance with her next clinic appointment months away. The radiology report did not include specific follow-up recommendations.
Day 3: Return Visit with Escalating Symptoms
Two days later, she returned to the ED with worsening pain. A CTA showed the aneurysm had grown to 5.0 cm—meeting the threshold for urgent review under the hospital’s protocol. However, the imaging report again lacked direct comparison or follow-up guidance. The patient was discharged with a diagnosis of colitis.
Automated Detection via Custom Workflow
While the finding was not classified as “critical” in isolation, the hospital had worked with the Radloop team to configure a workflow that flagged AAAs ≥5.0 cm as actionable. The client defined AAAs at or above 5.0 cm as requiring High-Risk Clinic referral. Radloop AF integrated this rule into its AI-driven routing logic, automatically identifying the measurement in the radiology report and generating an alert to the care coordination team—even in the absence of an explicit follow-up recommendation.
Rapid Intervention and Outcome
Thanks to this automated alert, the care coordinator escalated the case to vascular surgery. The patient was seen immediately and underwent successful aneurysm repair the next day. The timely intervention likely saved her life, highlighting the real-world impact of automated, coordinated care. Post-op follow-up was confirmed via Radloop AF’s tracking system.
How Custom Workflows Make Radloop Clinically Powerful
Radloop AF is purpose-built to close the loop on actionable findings—those that may otherwise be lost amid heavy volumes and fragmented communication. But its power goes beyond automation: it’s highly configurable to reflect each institution’s unique protocols.
In this case, the client defined AAAs at or above 5.0 cm as requiring High-Risk Clinic referral. Radloop integrated this rule into its AI-driven routing logic, ensuring the case was escalated even without an explicit directive in the report.
This reflects Radloop’s core strength: enabling systems to act with clarity, consistency, and clinical relevance—without adding manual burden.
What This Case Reveals About Patient Safety
This case illustrates a systemic challenge: even when patients are under surveillance, critical context can be missed unless workflows are designed to surface and route actionable findings reliably.
Radloop doesn’t replace clinical judgment—it amplifies it. By embedding intelligence into workflows and following through with coordinated action, Radloop helps ensure nothing critical is overlooked.
Ready to Build a Safer, Smarter Workflow?
Missed follow-ups can compromise patient safety, drive up risk, and burden clinical teams. Radloop’s AI-powered solutions help ensure timely care by aligning with your institution’s real-world workflows.
Because when responsibility is shared across teams, accountability can become ambiguous. Structured diligence and systemic vigilance aren’t just safeguards—they’re the foundation of truly accountable care. Radloop builds that foundation directly into the workflow.
Schedule a demo today to see how Radloop can help your team stay connected, compliant, and in control. To explore the broader implications of AI in radiology workflow and care coordination, stay tuned for our upcoming feature article.
References
- American College of Radiology. ACR Appropriateness Criteria®: https://www.acr.org/Clinical-Resources/ACR-Appropriateness-Criteria
