Structured Radiology Reporting: Addressing the Communication Quality Gap

Ineffective communication in healthcare contributes to patient morbidity and mortality. Understanding why failures in communication occur requires an understanding of how healthcare professionals communicate and models explaining the communication process. Radiologists communicate most commonly using the radiology report. Worldwide it is estimated that billions of radiological examinations are performed annually. The quality of each radiology report can contribute to patient care either in a positive manner leading to better outcomes or can be a source of medical error. Recent articles highlight quality gaps in radiology reports related not only to accuracy but also to clarity and completeness. We review and highlight the gaps related to the quality of radiology reports and discuss strategies to improve effective communication.