V. Katherine Gray, PhD

The usual EHR approach won’t suffice in the future. You need to be able to get orders electronically and be more responsible to patients with your reporting.

Communication - or failure to communicate - is an important issue in radiology malpractice lawsuits. However, in the past, radiologists have not been the primary communicators of imaging reports with patients, as that has been the responsibility of the referring physician. That is about to change.

In the near future, expect to see the development of m-health reporting apps that will handle the issues of security, privacy, and documentation of the receipt of the information. It is expected that many m-health apps will be used for tracking chronic conditions and for identification and monitoring patients. However, don’t be surprised if they are also used for reporting results and communicating about treatment options.