Optimizing Radiology Reports for Patients and Referring Physicians: Mitigating the Curse of Knowledge

As the movement for increased transparency in healthcare continues, more and more patients are accessing their imaging reports via patient portals. The shift to structured radiology reports has increased report clarity for referring providers and is supported by most radiologists. When radiologists address the clinical question that was posed, avoid the use of abbreviations, and create a report impression that is as simple as possible, we provide real added value via effective communication through our reports. In creating our reports with the patient in mind, and specifically knowing that many patients now directly review their imaging reports, we must be cognizant of the "curse of knowledge." The curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that exists when we assume others have the background to understand our often complex radiology reports. Striving to mitigate the curse of knowledge is important for both patients and referring providers reading our reports, and a report impression that is presented as simply as possible in "lay language" is one tangible step toward this goal. Educating our residents and fellows about these important considerations as they create their reports is imperative to their success as radiologists.