External comparison
The trial pathway differed from the usual institutional practice where CXRs are reported by either a radiologist (CR) or radiographer (RR) during or after the session in which the CXR is performed but issued within 24 hours. In order to evaluate the impact of the change to radiographer first read in the standard reporting arm, we also measured time to diagnosis and referral rates at Newham University Hospital (NUH), a nearby hospital with the same usual institutional practice (ie, without immediate reporting).