Quality of radiologists’ communication with other clinicians—As experienced by radiologists (original) (raw)

2015, Patient Education and Counseling

Mutual understanding in inter-professional communication is of paramount importance in health care [1]. With the introduction of electronic communication, traditional inter-professional communication is challenged. This is particularly evident in radiology, where communication of radiological images and reports now can be achieved electronically, based on digital picture and archiving systems (PACS) [2]. Thereby, images and reports can be reached instantly and simultaneously in e.g. surgical theatres, wards and outpatient clinics, and at remote sites outside hospitals. This is in sharp contrast to the traditional way of conveying imaging results, showing images on light-boxes and storing the only copy of the analogue film in the radiology file room. In parallel, many radiology departments strive for ''paper-free'' communication with clinicians, replacing paper referral forms with electronic referrals (and reports). PACS has clearly facilitated technical communication of imaging data [2], and also impacts work routines in radiology [3]. However, it has also been shown that consultations with radiologists decreased when hard copy films were replaced by workstations [4], but reports on effects on communication between radiologists and referring clinicians are conflicting [5]. The other aspect of inter-professional communication relates to its information value. The quality of communication from referring clinicians to radiologists has significant impact on clinical patient handling and safety [6-10]. Thus, request forms with adequate clinical information are essential to guide the radiologist and technician in planning and performing the examination and to obtain a correct diagnosis [11] and a clinically useful radiology report [12]. A previous study showed that of 100 request forms sent for MRI, 63% contained poor or insufficient information [13]. Inadequate communication of clinical data from referring clinicians to radiologists may have significant impact on diagnosis, cost and