{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,5]],"date-time":"2026-08-05T08:29:04Z","timestamp":1785918544663,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,17]],"date-time":"2023-12-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1702771200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Deanship of Scientific Research, Najran University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia","award":["NU\/DRP\/MRC\/12\/39"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NU\/DRP\/MRC\/12\/39"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["TropicalMed"],"abstract":"<jats:p>During the early stages of the pandemic, computed tomography (CT) of the chest, along with serological and clinical data, was frequently utilized in diagnosing COVID-19, particularly in regions facing challenges such as shortages of PCR kits. In these circumstances, CT scans played a crucial role in diagnosing COVID-19 and guiding patient management. The COVID-19 Reporting and Data System (CO-RADS) was established as a standardized reporting system for cases of COVID-19 pneumonia. Its implementation necessitates a high level of agreement among observers to prevent any potential confusion. This study aimed to assess the inter-observer agreement between physicians from different specialties with variable levels of experience in their CO-RADS scoring of CT chests for confirmed COVID-19 patients, and to assess the feasibility of applying this reporting system to those having little experience with it. All chest CT images of patients with positive RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 were retrospectively reviewed by seven observers. The observers were divided into three groups according to their type of specialty (three radiologists, three house officers, and one pulmonologist). The observers assessed each image and categorized the patients into five CO-RADS groups. A total of 630 participants were included in this study. The inter-observer agreement was almost perfect among the radiologists, substantial among a pulmonologist and the house officers, and moderate-to-substantial among the radiologists, the pulmonologist, and the house officers. There was substantial to almost perfect inter-observer agreement when reporting using the CO-RADS among observers with different experience levels. Although the inter-observer variability among the radiologists was high, it decreased compared to the pulmonologist and house officers. Radiologists, house officers, and pulmonologists applying the CO-RADS can accurately and promptly identify typical CT imaging features of lung involvement in COVID-19.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed8120523","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,18]],"date-time":"2023-12-18T10:04:47Z","timestamp":1702893887000},"page":"523","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Inter-observer Variability in the Analysis of CO-RADS Classification for COVID-19 Patients"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7046-5311","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yassir Edrees","family":"Almalki","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Radiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical College, Najran University, Najran 61441, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9075-8020","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohammad Abd Alkhalik","family":"Basha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Human Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maha Ibrahim","family":"Metwally","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Human Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ahmed Mohamed","family":"Housseini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radio-Diagnosis, Faculty of Human Medicine, Suez Canal University, Esmaelia 41522, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0810-9337","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sharifa Khalid","family":"Alduraibi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah 52571, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8383-1624","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ziyad A.","family":"Almushayti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah 52571, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Asim S.","family":"Aldhilan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah 52571, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mahmoud Mohamed","family":"Elzoghbi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radio-Diagnosis, Faculty of Human Medicine, Suez Canal University, Esmaelia 41522, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Esraa Attia","family":"Gabr","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radio-Diagnosis, Faculty of Human Medicine, Suez Canal University, Esmaelia 41522, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Esaraa","family":"Manajrah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Human Medicine, Suez Canal University, Esmaelia 41522, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Reham Mohammed Farid","family":"Hijazy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Human Medicine, Suez Canal University, Esmaelia 41522, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Loujain Mohamed Khear","family":"Akbazli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Human Medicine, Suez Canal University, Esmaelia 41522, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ayman","family":"El Mokadem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Faculty of Human Medicine, Suez Canal University, Esmaelia 41522, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ahmed M. A.","family":"Basha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of General Medicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Egypt Branch, Cairo 11646, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Walid","family":"Mosallam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radio-Diagnosis, Faculty of Human Medicine, Suez Canal University, Esmaelia 41522, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,12,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2020). 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