Enhancing communication between foundation doctors and radiologists: a quality improvement project

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Radiology
• Surgical Training

Background:

• Foundation year (FY) doctors play a crucial role in facilitating radiological imaging for patient management.
• Current training may not adequately equip FY doctors with the necessary skills for effective radiological imaging requests.
• Improved communication between FY doctors and radiologists is essential for optimal patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the confidence and skills of FY doctors in facilitating radiological imaging.
• To evaluate the impact of formal training and a communication aid on these skills.
• To identify areas for improvement in interspecialty communication within medical education.

Main Methods:

• A pre- and post-intervention survey using a 10-point Likert scale was administered to 20 surgical FY doctors.
• Radiology consultants were surveyed to gather their perspectives on FY doctors' communication.
• A targeted teaching session and the PACCSS poster were implemented as interventions.

Main Results:

• FY doctors showed a statistically significant improvement in self-reported confidence (2.1±1.1, p<0.01) after the intervention.
• Satisfaction with performance following discussions with radiologists also significantly improved (1.7±1.1, p<0.01).
• Deficiencies in skills and confidence were identified, highlighting the need for focused training.

Conclusions:

• Focused training demonstrably improves FY doctors' confidence and skills in facilitating radiological imaging.
• Enhanced interspecialty communication is vital for patient care and should be integrated into medical curricula.
• The findings support the inclusion of such training in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.