How Teleradiology Reduces Frustration

A new interest group may assist the patients to take delivery of test results candidly from their radiologists, hurrying the process. A working group of the Radiological Society of North America as well as the American College of Radiology are taking an initiative to make radiologists more reachable to patients by providing test results to them immediately if requested, by either linking with patients or conversing with them on the phone. As a consequence, the majority of medical centers and clinics of doctors are permitting patients to log on and witness their medical records, which can comprise information on scans. Some radiologists believe that talking directly with patients is something they strongly find objectionable. To be honest, radiologists have their limitations too. Even if he/she is a holder of Doctor of Medicine degree in Radiology, is unable to answer queries regarding drugs or surgery and without being aware the clinical history may not comprehend whether deformities are significant or not?

However, there is one great exception to this routine. It is exclusively the prerogative of the particular doctor or the privilege of the particular patient as to how swiftly the results of a scan are conveyed to him/her. These scans may include Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Positron Emission Tomography, Computerized Tomography, Ultrasonography etc.

The greater part of patients feels anxious and apprehensive about the results of any of the aforementioned investigations having been carried out on their own selves or on their relatives. They are eager to hear the results straight from the horse’s mouth! Many of them fail to understand as to why the Radiologists convey the results of their investigations to the doctors and not to them! Even so, a high proportion of Radiologists attempt to contact the referring doctor prior to informing the patient, in case the scan reveals something truly critical or unforeseen. However the exclusion to this run -through is a mammogram, in which case most radiologists prefer to convene with women instantaneously after their scan on account of the fact that most women need a biopsy or a Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology or a Frozen section or even a surgery such as mastectomy, hence such matters need to be discussed with the patient immediately because the TIME FACTOR counts a lot in such instances.