To construct an information management system of follow-up data and investigate the influence of the system on the diagnostic efficiency of ultrasonic physicians.

A total of 8951 cases at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital from July 2016 to December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. All the cases were confirmed by pathology. An information management system of follow-up data was built by hierarchical diagnosis. Diagnostic grade (grades 1-3; each diagnostic grade was further divided into diagnostic conformity and non-conformity) and diagnostic weighted score were used in all cases. The efficiency of follow-up (the personnel and time required to follow every 100 valid cases) was calculated. The diagnostic efficiency of ultrasonic physicians was evaluated by diagnostic grade, diagnostic coincidence rate, and diagnostic weighted score. The differences of diagnostic grade and diagnostic coincidence rate of ultrasonic physicians before and after the use of the information management system of follow-up data were analyzed by the Chi-square test, and diagnostic weighted score was analyzed by t-test.

The cost of follow-up was reduced from 5.2 man-hours/100 cases to 3.1 man-hours/100 cases. The diagnostic grade after the use of the information management system of follow-up data was higher than that before the use (grade 1/grade 2/grade 3: 21.0%/21.0%/58.0% vs 17.3%/23.9%/58.8%; χ²=23.708, P＜0.001). The proportion of cases (grade 2+grade 3) that were judged as benign or malignant lesions increased (82.7% vs 79.0%). After the system was used, the diagnostic coincidence rate of grade 1 and grade 3 cases was significantly improved compared with that before the use of the system (83.8% vs 66.6%, χ²=361.453, P＜0.001; 87.8% vs 85.7%, χ²=5.573, P=0.020). There was no statistically significant difference in the diagnostic coincidence rate of grade 2 cases (P＞0.05). The mean weighted score of ultrasonic physicians' diagnosis increased from 3.93 points to 4.51 points, which was statistically different (t=-14.816, P＜0.001).

The use of the information management system of follow-up data can improve the efficiency of follow-up, and evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of ultrasonic physicians quantitatively. And the diagnostic efficiency of ultrasonic physicians can be improved through the feedback and correction in the system.