Make your presence known: 5 ways radiologists can demonstrate value through improved communication

A recent two-part report for Academic Radiology focused on the value of imaging in healthcare and how the imaging community can demonstrate value to “patients, payers, ordering providers, health systems, and society at large.”

Phuong-Anh T. Duong, MD, of Emory University department of radiology and imaging sciences, and colleagues wrote about numerous ways radiologists can demonstrate value, including many related to improved communication with both patients and referring physicians.

These are just some of those ideas:

1. Directly communicate imaging results to patients

As the authors pointed out in their report, physicians view CT and MRI as the two biggest healthcare innovations of the last three decades. Now it’s time to convince the individuals who are benefitting from these innovations the most: patients.

“To many patients, radiology is identified only by the equipment used or by the technologist who administers the scan, instead of by the radiologist's interpretation and diagnosis,” the authors wrote. “Many patients erroneously believe that the physician ordering the examination is also the physician interpreting the study. Because of the limited contact that radiologists have with patients, radiologists often have an invisible role as physicians.”

By directly communicating imaging results to patients, radiologists become a real, actual person to the patient and not just an unknown middle man. It has become a common practice in breast imaging, but has yet to catch on across the board.

In the eyes of the radiologist, this face-to-face interaction may not necessarily improve the quality of the imaging report, it’s still an important step for the entire profession.

“It is essential for the future of radiology—being the clinical specialty that it is—to achieve public recognition of its increasingly important role,” the authors wrote.

2. Use patient-friendly language whenever possible

If patients can understand what they’re being told, they’re going to perceive the radiologist as being more helpful and providing more quality. And improving the patient’s perception of quality increases the value being demonstrated.

Duong et al. wrote that using simple, easy-to-understand language can make a big difference. This is true for radiology reports, patient portals, and even educational materials located online.

3. Help referring physicians by writing structured, itemized radiology reports

Radiologists should always keep the referring physician in mind when making radiology reports.

“Ambiguity and other poor communication can result in patient care mismanagement and ultimately in malpractice suits,” the authors wrote. “It is therefore crucial to understand the preference of referring physicians, who are the main consumers of radiology reports, regarding the formatting and contents of reports.”

Referring physicians prefer structured, itemized reports over free-text reports, the authors wrote. Graphs, tables, and hyperlinks to key images are just some of the ways radiology reports can be enhanced so that they’re more helpful and precise.

4. Location, location, location

The authors explained that radiology reading rooms closer to certain specialists or the emergency department can have a big impact on face-to-face interaction between radiologists and referring physicians.

Similarly, the authors wrote that moving radiology offices closer to patient rooms can increase communication between radiologists and patients. If a radiologist has less staircases, elevators, and long walks to trek through, he or she may be more likely to pop in and check on a patient, even if just for a quick second.

5. Increase visibility by attending conferences

“Participation in multidisciplinary conferences such as tumor boards can increase the visibility of radiologists, their interaction with colleagues, and all the while improve patient care through improved provider communication,” the authors wrote.

Of all of the report’s many suggestions, this one may be the most difficult to bill. But all is not lost. The authors explained that practices can still track these efforts and demonstrate value to their institutions.