Breakdowns in communication between radiologists and referring patients could put patients at risk, according to the results of a new study presented this week at the American Roentgen Ray Society's annual meeting in Los Angeles.
The study found that about 1 in 3 recommendations from radiologists that call for additional clinical action are not followed and nearly half are never acknowledged in the referring physician's notes, according to Medscape.
The researchers reviewed patient records from Boston Medical Center in January 2014 and found that 67 percent of recommendations from radiologists were not followed. Those included recommendations for additional imaging, clinical correlation, nonimaging procedures, laboratory studies and consultation with a specialist. In cases where referring physicians did not acknowledge the radiology recommendations, 43 percent were significant, many involving patients with cancer concerns.
Diagnostic errors lead to more malpractice claims than any other type of medical mistake. The Institute of Medicine in September 2015 released a major report calling for reforms related to diagnostic errors.
So what is happening? "We cannot assume that information about patients' health sent by radiologists will always be received by referring providers," study investigator Nadja Kadom, M.D., of Emory University in Atlanta, told Medscape. Physicians may not notice or receive electronic messages, fax machines can malfunction or information may be sent to a physician other than a patient's primary care physician. In other cases, the information is sent but the patient has moved or does not return for follow-up care.
One solution is for radiology staff, patient navigators, or modern information technology systems to track communication about radiology results and document its delivery, Kadom said. Recommendations to patients delivered through a portal could also increase the chances of follow-through, she said.
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