Rafel Tappouni MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Nabeel Imtiaz Sarwani MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Michael Andrew Bruno MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

1. To determine referring physicians’ perceptions of the radiology report and their preferences of the report format. 2. To determine the physicians’ preferences for communication of unexpected findings, including communications between the radiologist and the patient.  

A 16 question survey was sent by internal e-mail to 607 staff physicians in a single academic institution. SurveyMonkey.com™ was used to gather the data. The participants were asked to answer questions regarding how they read and extract information from the report and their preference of the report format.The survey also dealt with issues regarding communication of unexpexted findings. 

124/607 responded giving a response rate of 20 %. 84/124(68%) of the respondents were internist, family physicians, pediatricians or surgeons.The remainder included 10 other specialties. 69/116(55%) read the entire report. 94/114(83%) prefer the inclusion of the “probably benign” findings in the impression. 92/113(81%) prefer the impression to have numbered or bulleted items and 81/104 (78%) prefer standardized structure radiology report.  58/113(51%) clinicians prefer the use of internal HIPAA-compliant e-mail system to communicate the results vs. a telephone call 31/113(27%) or no communication outside of the written report 24/113(21%).110/114 (97%) felt follow-up of significant incidental findings is the responsibility of the referring clinician vs. the responsibility of the radiologist 70/114(65%) vs. the patients’ responsibility 69/114(66%). 56/111(51%) prefer the radiologist provide results directly to the patients only when the patient asks, vs. 34/111(31%) who felt the radiologists should always provide a report directly to the patient and 21/111(19%) who prefer radiologists should never communicate results directly to the patient.  

Majority of clinicians we surveyed read the entire radiology report. They preferred the impression section to be in a numbered or bulleted format and prefer the inclusion of incidental findings in the impression. The majority prefer the radiologists communicate the findings directly to the patient, especially when the patients asks the radiologist for the results.

1. Standardized structure radiology report with bulleted impression is preferred by the referring clinicians. 2. Radiologists should not feel deterred from providing results directly to patients.  

Tappouni, R, Sarwani, N, Bruno, M, What Does the ‘Customer’ Really Want? How Do Clinicians Read the Radiology Report and What Are Their Preferences Regarding Communication Unexpected Findings: A Survey of Academic Center Staff Physicians.  Radiological Society of North America 2009 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 29 - December 4, 2009 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2009/8004098.html