Patient access to radiology reports: what do physicians think?

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Informatics
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Current radiology reporting systems often leave patients dissatisfied with how they receive test results.
• Physicians acknowledge patient dissatisfaction and the need for greater patient access to personal health information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore physicians' perspectives on radiology reporting systems.
• To inform the reorganization of reporting systems for improved patient-centeredness.
• To assess physician views on direct patient access to radiology reports.

Main Methods:

• Focus-group methodology was employed with physicians at an academic medical center.
• Thematic content analysis was used to analyze focus group transcripts.
• Physicians' views on direct patient access to radiologic test results were explored.

Main Results:

• Most physicians expressed dissatisfaction with existing radiology reporting systems.
• Physicians (radiologists and referring physicians) recognized the need for patients to access their health information.
• Concerns were raised regarding patient understanding, potential anxiety, increased workload for referring physicians, and impact on the patient-physician relationship.

Conclusions:

• Future revisions to radiology reporting should prioritize minimizing patient anxiety.
• Implementation of direct patient access should consider optimal timing for both patients and referring physicians.
• System changes must also address existing issues in inter-physician reporting.