Track incidental findings, schedule follow-up imaging, and manage reminder workflows. Also use when the user mentions follow-up, incidental finding, reminder, or needs to track patients requiring follow-up imaging.
name followup-tracking description Track incidental findings, schedule follow-up imaging, and manage reminder workflows. Also use when the user mentions follow-up, incidental finding, reminder, or needs to track patients requiring follow-up imaging. Follow-up Tracking You are an expert in radiology follow-up tracking. Your role is to help manage incidental findings, schedule follow-up studies, and ensure patients receive appropriate surveillance. Follow-up Categories Incidental Findings Common incidental findings requiring follow-up: Finding Typical Follow-up Lung nodule <6mm No routine follow-up Lung nodule 6-8mm CT at 6-12 months Lung nodule >8mm CT, consider PET, possible biopsy Renal cyst Usually no follow-up if simple Renal mass >1cm MRI or CT characterization Adrenal nodule <1cm No follow-up typically Adrenal nodule >1cm CT/MRI for characterization Thyroid nodule Based on TI-RADS Surveillance Programs Program Population Modality Interval Lung cancer screening High-risk smokers Low-dose CT Annual LI-RADS surveillance Cirrhosis MRI Every 6 months Breast screening Women 40+ Mammography Annual Colonoscopy Adults 45+ Colonoscopy Every 10 years Follow-up Protocols Lung Nodule Follow-up LUNG_NODULE_PROTOCOL = { "baseline_ct" : { "indication" : "New lung nodule detected" , "protocol" : "CT Chest with contrast (thin section)" , "report_additional" : "Nodule characteristics" }, "followup_intervals" : { "<4mm" : { "action" : "No routine follow-up" , "category" : "Lung-RADS 2" }, "4-6mm" : { "action" : "CT at 12 months" , "category" : "Lung-RADS 2" }, "6-8mm" : { "action" : "CT at 6-12 months" , "category" : "Lung-RADS 3" }, "8mm solid" : { "action" : "CT at 3 months, PET, or biopsy" , "category" : "Lung-RADS 4" }, "Ground glass" : { "<6mm" : { "action" : "CT at 6-12 months" }, ">=6mm" : { "action" : "CT at 6-12 months" }, ">=20mm or growing" : { "action" : "Consider biopsy" } } } } Incidental Adrenal Nodule ADRENAL_NODULE_PROTOCOL = { "<1cm" : { "action" : "No routine follow-up" }, "1-2cm" : { "action" : "MRI or CT protocol for characterization" , "indications" : [ "History of malignancy" , "Imaging features concerning" ] }, ">2cm or concerning" : { "action" : "Dedicated adrenal CT/MRI, consider biopsy" , "additional" : "Chemical shift imaging" } } Tracking System Components Patient Follow-up Registry Entry FOLLOWUP_ENTRY = { "patient" : { "name" : "Patient Name" , "mrn" : "123456" , "dob" : "1980-01-15" , "contact" : { "phone" : "555-123-4567" , "email" : "" } }, "finding" : { "anatomy" : "lung" , "type" : "nodule" , "location" : "right upper lobe" , "size_mm" : 8 , "characteristics" : "solid" , "category" : "Lung-RADS 4A" }, "study" : { "accession" : "ACC123456" , "date" : "2026-03-15" , "modality" : "CT" , "report" : "Finding documented in full report" }, "followup" : { "type" : "imaging" , "study" : "CT Chest" , "due_date" : "2026-09-15" ,
"interval_months" : 6 , "status" : "pending" }, "communication" : { "patient_notified" : True , "provider_notified" : True , "scheduled" : False , "appointment_date" : None } } Reminder Workflow Patient Outreach REMINDER_TYPES = { "initial" : { "timing" : "Within 48 hours of finding" , "method" : "Patient portal message + letter" , "content" : { "finding" : "Explained in plain language" , "why_followup" : "Important for your health" , "next_steps" : "Instructions for scheduling" , "contact" : "Phone number for questions" } }, "scheduling_reminder" : { "timing" : "1 week before due date" , "method" : "Phone call + portal" , "content" : { "study" : "Reminder of scheduled scan" , "preparation" : "Prep instructions" , "contact" : "Reschedule if needed" } }, "due_reminder" : { "timing" : "On due date" , "method" : "Phone call" , "content" : { "overdue" : "Follow-up is due" , "action" : "Please schedule ASAP" } }, "missed_appointment" : { "timing" : "After no-show" , "method" : "Phone call" , "content" : { "missed" : "Apology for inconvenience" , "importance" : "Why follow-up matters" , "reschedule" : "Call to reschedule" } } } Letter Templates Initial Follow-up Notification Dear [Patient Name],
Your recent imaging study showed a finding that we recommend monitoring with follow-up imaging.
WHAT WAS FOUND: [Plain language description of finding]
WHY IS FOLLOW-UP NEEDED? [Explanation of why monitoring is important]
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NEXT? Please schedule a [type of scan] within [timeframe]. Your healthcare provider has been informed of this recommendation.
TO SCHEDULE: Call: [Phone number] Online: [Patient portal link]
QUESTIONS? Contact your healthcare provider or call us at [number].
This finding does not require emergency care, but please do not delay scheduling the follow-up.
Sincerely, [Radiology Department] Overdue Follow-up Alert SUBJECT: Follow-up Imaging Overdue - Action Required
Dear [Patient Name],
Our records show that your follow-up [type of scan] is now overdue.
FINDING TO MONITOR: [Description]
ORIGINAL STUDY DATE: [Date] FOLLOW-UP WAS DUE: [Date]
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: Many findings like this remain stable over time, but it's important to check. This follow-up helps ensure your health.
WHAT TO DO: Please call [number] today to schedule your follow-up scan. We can help find a convenient appointment time for you.
QUESTIONS? Call [number] or message your healthcare provider through the patient portal.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
[Radiology Care Team] Quality Metrics Follow-up Completion Rate FOLLOWUP_METRICS = { "completion_rate" : { "numerator" : "Follow-up completed within recommended timeframe" , "denominator" : "All findings requiring follow-up" , "target" : ">80%" }, "timeliness" : { "numerator" : "Follow-up completed within 30 days of due date" , "denominator" : "All completed follow-ups" , "target" : ">90%" }, "patient_contact" : { "numerator" : "Patients contacted within 48 hours" , "denominator" : "All findings requiring follow-up" , "target" : "100%" } } Related Skills care-gap-closure : For population health screening patient-results-letter : For patient communication guideline-integration : For evidence-based intervals structured-reporting : For standardized findings documentation Examples Example 1: Create Follow-up for Lung Nodule Set up follow-up tracking for a 7mm lung nodule followup = { "patient" : { "name" : "John Smith" , "mrn" : "123456" }, "finding" : { "type" : "lung_nodule" , "size_mm" : 7 , "characteristics" : "solid, smooth margins" }, "study" : { "date" : "2026-03-01" , "accession" : "ACC001" }, "followup" : { "type" : "CT Chest" , "due_date" : "2026-09-01" ,
"interval" : "6 months" , "status" : "pending" , "provider_notified" : True }, "patient_contact" : { "method" : "letter + portal" , "sent_date" : "2026-03-03" , "scheduled" : False } } Example 2: Identify Missed Follow-ups Find all patients with lung nodule follow-ups overdue by more than 30 days query = { "finding_type" : "lung_nodule" , "size_range" : "6-8mm" , "status" : "pending" , "overdue_days" : 30 , "date_field" : "followup_due_date" , "comparison" : "less_than" , "reference_date" : "today_minus_30_days" }