Radiologists’ errors in communication can have a direct impact on patient care.
Over one-third of communication errors that take place in a radiology department have a direct impact on patient care, and more than half have a potential impact, according to a study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Researchers from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA, performed a study to determine the impact of communication errors on patient care, customer satisfaction, and work-flow efficiency and to identify opportunities for quality improvement.
The researchers found 380 of 422 cases of communication errors gathered from the quality assurance database at their facility between August 1, 2004 and December 31, 2014, which fit their criteria. The cases were analyzed for where in the imaging process the errors occurred, such as during ordering, scheduling, examination performance, study interpretation, or communication of the results. The impact on patient care was then graded on a five-point scale: none (0) to catastrophic (4).
The most common step where errors occurred was during communication of the results:
There was no statistically significant difference in impact severity between errors that occurred during result communication and those that occurred at other times, the researchers noted. According to the researchers, patient care was impacted in 144 cases (37.9%) and 200/380 (52.6%) of cases had the potential for an impact:
New Collaboration Offers Promise of Automating Prior Authorizations in Radiology with AI
March 26th 2025In addition to a variety of tools to promote radiology workflow efficiencies, the integration of the Gravity AI tools into the PowerServer RIS platform may reduce time-consuming prior authorizations to minutes for completion.
The Reading Room Podcast: Emerging Trends in the Radiology Workforce
February 11th 2022Richard Duszak, MD, and Mina Makary, MD, discuss a number of issues, ranging from demographic trends and NPRPs to physician burnout and medical student recruitment, that figure to impact the radiology workforce now and in the near future.
Study Explores Impact of Insurance on Treatment and Referrals for Patients with Uterine Fibroids
February 19th 2025Women with uterine fibroids and Medicaid coverage are significantly more likely to be treated with uterine artery embolization than those with commercial insurance, according to newly published research.