Page 15 - 2022 Risk Basics - Radiology

SVMIC Risk Basics: Radiology

The rapid expansion of services, globalization of healthcare, and the

imbalance between workload and workforce are a few of the factors that
may threaten the standards of health services, as well as patient safety.

There is a rising demand for radiologists and 24/7 services.

Time, or a lack thereof, is often cited by radiologists as an obstacle
to both attention to detail and communication. Workload volume for

radiologists has significantly increased. According to Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data, between 2005

and 2016, the average number of CT examinations per 1,000 people in the
United States rose from 195 to 254. And the average number of studies

that a radiologist currently reviews per minute has increased sevenfold
from 1999 to 2010. Fatigue, “inattention blindness”, and physician burnout
5
are common among radiologists.

Key Challenge #1: Communication

Decades of studies indicate that as much as 80 percent of malpractice

suits included a component or allegation of communication error in
all specialties including radiology. Most professional liability carriers

consistently recognize that communication error is a frequent subsidiary
contributing factor in most radiology claims.

The radiologist would prefer that his or her duty ends once a radiographic

interpretation is dictated, such is not the case. Courts have extended
the radiologist’s duty to communicate far beyond the rendering of their

written report. The courts have consistently ruled that the communication
of radiologic results to the referring provider and/or patient is just as

important as identifying the abnormal findings.

5 “Interpretive Error in Radiology,” AJR:208, April 2017.

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