3 modifiable factors that make radiology reports easier for patients to understand

There are three key modifiable factors that can make radiology reports easier for patients to understand, according to new research published Friday in European Radiology [1].

These include writing summaries in simplified language, incorporating definitions of medical terms, and illustrating relevant parts of the body. While in the past, these reports were oriented mostly toward fellow physicians, patients are increasingly reading their imaging results. 

European experts believe it’s essential that provider groups heed this advice and improve the formatting of their work. 

“To increase patients’ satisfaction, perceived usefulness and understanding of radiology reports, the use of lay language summaries, glossaries with patient-oriented definitions, and anatomic illustrations is recommended,” F.A.M. van der Mee, with the Department of Family Medicine at Maastricht University’s Care and Public Health Research Institute in the Netherlands, and colleagues concluded. “Our results furthermore suggest that these formats not only help patients better understand their radiology reports and increase satisfaction, they may also reduce anxiety and prevent extra physician consultations.”

To reach their conclusions, researchers conducted a systematic examination of studies on this topic. Two reviewers independently screened for relevant articles using PubMed and other databases. The final tally included 18 studies, 16 of which were quantitative and two qualitative. Glossaries, illustrations and lay summaries all significantly improved patients’ perception and communication around radiology reports. Using these elements also appeared to reduce anxiety and worry stemming from the imaging encounter, though this benefit only came with lay summaries. 

Van der Mee and colleagues believe theirs is the first study to systematically synthesize data on how radiology report formatting can impact patient information processing. They see avenues for further research. 

“This review demonstrates that modifying the radiology reporting process, traditionally created for physician-to-physician communication, may result in a shift toward a more patient-centered approach, prioritizing readability and comprehensibility and thereby ultimately enhancing patient information processing,” the authors wrote. “Yet, the effects of changes in the reporting process, workload and technical requirements for the radiologist and their equipment were outside the scope. However, it is clear that altering the reporting process would have a significant impact on the radiological workflow. Still, we should focus on the potential of structured reporting, standardization and AI like [large language models] to enhance information processing by means of modifying the radiology report.”