The voice of the radiologist: Enabling patients to speak directly to radiologists | JoVE Visualize

The voice of the radiologist: Enabling patients to speak directly to radiologists

Nathan M Cross¹, Joseph Wildenberg², Geraldine Liao³

¹Department of Radiology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, NW-011, Box 357115, Seattle, WA 98195, United States of America.

Clinical Imaging|January 28, 2020

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Patients can now directly contact radiologists with questions about their imaging reports. Implementing an alias phone number in reports facilitated communication, requiring minimal radiologist time per call.

Area of Science:

Radiology
Patient Communication
Health Informatics

Background:

Patients desire direct communication with radiologists for imaging questions.
Current patient portals offer limited understanding and contact with radiologists.
Radiologists are best suited to clarify imaging results and guide further steps.

Purpose of the Study:

To assess the feasibility and impact of providing direct radiologist contact information to patients.
To evaluate patient and physician utilization of a direct contact method for radiology reports.
To quantify the time investment required from radiologists for patient consultations.

Main Methods:

An alias phone number was embedded in 3896 radiology reports over 8 months.
The number forwarded to participating radiologists' smartphones, inviting patient calls.
Call parameters (duration, reason, radiologist time) were logged and documented.

Main Results:

Radiologists received 27 calls regarding cross-sectional exams (22 from patients/caregivers, 5 from physicians).
Call reasons included term definitions, error correction, and clinical impact clarification.
Average call time was 8.6 minutes; total radiologist time, including review, averaged 13.9 minutes per call.

Conclusions:

Direct radiologist contact via an alias phone number is feasible with minimal implementation effort.
This service adds approximately 5 seconds per exam on average.
Direct communication enhances patient understanding and addresses report-related queries efficiently.