Disclosure by Radiologists of Imaging Results to Patients

Radiologists generally don't discuss results of imaging studies with patients; that task usually is left to ordering physicians. In this study, radiologists at a Boston teaching hospital explored the feasibility of communicating results directly to patients who underwent nonobstetric ultrasound scanning or computed tomography (CT) of the chest, abdomen, or pelvis.

Of 108 patients who were approached, 86 agreed to participate in postimaging discussion with their radiologists. Findings were normal or unimportant in 58% of patients and ambiguous or abnormal in 42%. After CT scanning, patients waited an average of 10 minutes to meet with radiologists, and discussions averaged 10 minutes. After ultrasound, these times were slightly shorter. On av…