Should Radiologists Issue Formal Reports on Images from Outside Hospitals?

When patients transfer from one medical center to another, imaging studies from the first institution often are imported into the second institution's picture archiving and communication system (PACS). However, institutions vary in whether their radiologists formally review outside images and dictate official reports. In this study, radiologists at Massachusetts General Hospital examined whether formal review of outside abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans dissuaded clinicians from ordering repeat scans. Formal interpretation with a written report was issued only when a patient's clinician requested it.

During the 6-year study, more than 10,000 abdominal CT scans done at outside institutions during the previous 60 days were imported into…