What radiologists need to know about patients' expectations: P.A.T.I.E.N.T.S C.A.R.E.R.S A.I.M.S

CLINTERVENTIONAL protocol: a randomized controlled trial to evaluate clinical consultations and audiovisual tools for interventional radiology

Interventional radiology (IR) has evolved rapidly, but the clinical integration of interventional radiologists has not kept pace with technical advancements. This trial will address a gap in the literature by providing a robust investigation into specific measures for enhancing the clinical role of interventional radiologists, with potential implications for improving patient experiences and outcomes. The single-center randomized controlled trial will include 428 patients undergoing IR procedures. The control group will receive information about the procedure from the ordering physician, while the experimental group will have an additional consultation with an interventional radiologist and be shown procedure-specific explanatory videos. The primary outcomes are patients' knowledge, satisfaction with the information and communication, and anxiety. Data collection will involve specific questionnaires and scales. This trial is designed to investigate the importance of proactive clinical roles in patient care within IR. The study explores the potential of consultations and audiovisual tools, highlighting their role in educating patients about procedures. The results may help foster a more widespread acceptance of clinical responsibilities in IR and underscore the pivotal role of audiovisual aids in patient education and satisfaction.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT05461482 at clinicaltrials.gov.

RELEVANCE STATEMENT

This randomized controlled trial will assess the impact of clinical consultations and explanatory audiovisual tools on patient understanding, satisfaction, and anxiety in interventional radiology. The findings could help establish a more proactive clinical role for interventional radiologists and improve the overall quality of patient-centered care.

KEY POINTS

We describe the protocol of an interventional radiology randomized clinical trial. The control group will receive procedure information from the referring physician and the experimental group receives additional consultation with interventionalists and views a video. Knowledge, satisfaction with information, and patient anxiety will be evaluated. This study will provide insights about the benefits of consultations and videos in interventional radiology.

How can effective communication help radiographers meet the expectations of patients-COMMUNICATION-a joint statement by the ESR & EFRS

The Patient Advisory Group (PAG) of the European Society of Radiology, in collaboration with the European Federation of Radiographer Societies (EFRS), aims to highlight, in this short paper, the important role that communication plays when trying to meet patients' expectations throughout their imaging journey in a radiology department. The interactions with radiography professionals carrying out diagnostic or interventional procedures are critical in supporting high-quality patient care and patients' expectations. The key areas of consideration have been summarised in an easy-to-remember mnemonic: COMMUNICATION. There are different healthcare systems and medical imaging services across Europe, and healthcare providers should be mindful, when setting up new operational procedures, of the need for processes and systems to support the delivery of patient-centred care. At times when new or improved technology is being introduced, such as artificial intelligence applications, telemedicine, robotisation of interventional procedures, and digitised records, the impact on patient-radiographer communication and interactions should be considered. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Effective communication helps radiographers meet patients' expectations by ensuring clear explanations, reducing anxiety, fostering trust, and improving cooperation during procedures. This enhances patient satisfaction, safety, and the overall quality of care, aligning with professional standards and patient-centred healthcare. KEY POINTS: Patient-centred imaging services are key to meeting patients' demands. Radiography professionals in radiology departments and medical imaging services should always communicate effectively with patients. This ESR-Patient Advisory Group publication attempts to summarise the key areas that should be embedded in patient communication. The 'COMMUNICATION' statement can be used as a reminder to all radiography professionals to work to improve patient-radiographer interactions and provide patient-focused services.

Patient-Centered Radiology Communications: Engaging Patients as Partners

Patient-centered care is a model in which, by bringing the patient's perspective to the design and delivery of health care, we can better meet patients' needs, enhancing the quality of care. Patient-centered care requires finding ways to communicate effectively with a diverse patient population that has various levels of health literacy, cultural backgrounds, and unique needs and preferences. Moreover, multimedia resources have the potential to inform and educate patients promoting greater independence. In this review, we discuss the fundamentals of communication with the different modes used in radiology and the key elements of effective communication. Then, we highlight five opportunities along the continuum of care in the radiology practice in which we can improve communications to empower our patients and families and strengthen this partnership. Lastly, we discuss the importance on communication training of the workforce, optimizing and seamlessly integrating technology solutions into our workflows, and the need for patient feedback in the design and delivery of care.

[Patient-centered vs. employee-centered radiology : Does this pose a conflict?]

BACKGROUND

Patient-centered radiology and employee-centered radiology are being increasingly discussed as an extension of the established structure- and process-oriented management perspective. Concerning potential conflicts, it is unclear if and how these approaches should best be implemented in a radiology department.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this narrative review is to identify and critically correlate underlying characteristics of patient-centered and employee-centered approaches including their similarities, conflicts, and synergies as applicable to the radiological work environment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Based on a literature search using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, the current body of knowledge regarding patient- and employee-centered radiology is presented.

RESULTS

Patient- and employee-centered radiology focus on the individual needs of patients and employees, respectively, and promise to improve patient satisfaction, healthcare outcomes, and organizational performance. Conflicts result from an increased organizational complexity and the concurrent utilization of limited resources, such as time, money, and staff. Overall, however, synergies outweigh the potential conflicts.

CONCLUSIONS

Successful implementation of patient- and employee-centered approaches in radiology requires a human-centered leadership approach and an overarching strategy with the execution of specific interventions in the processes. We provide specific recommendations to this effect.

Changes in Radiology Due to Artificial Intelligence That Can Attract Medical Students to the Specialty

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in radiology has grown exponentially in the recent years. One of the primary worries by medical students is that AI will cause the roles of a radiologist to become automated and thus obsolete. Therefore, there is a greater hesitancy by medical students to choose radiology as a specialty. However, it is in this time of change that the specialty needs new thinkers and leaders. In this succinct viewpoint, 2 medical students involved in AI and 2 radiologists specializing in AI or clinical informatics posit that not only are these fears false, but the field of radiology will be transformed in such a way due to AI that there will be novel reasons to choose radiology. These new factors include greater impact on patient care, new space for innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, increased patient contact, becoming master diagnosticians, and greater opportunity for global health initiatives, among others. Finally, since medical students view mentorship as a critical resource when deciding their career path, medical educators must also be cognizant of these changes and not give much credence to the prevalent fearmongering. As the field and practice of radiology continue to undergo significant change due to AI, it is urgent and necessary for the conversation to expand from expert to expert to expert to student. Medical students should be encouraged to choose radiology specifically because of the changes brought on by AI rather than being deterred by it.

The role of radiologist in the changing world of healthcare: a White Paper of the European Society of Radiology (ESR)

Radiology as a specialty has been enormously successful since its beginnings, moving over time from an adjunct to clinical decision-making to a crucial component of multidisciplinary patient care. However, this increased centrality of radiology and reliance on our services carries within it dangers, prominent among them being the danger of our being viewed as deliverers of a commodity, and the risk of our becoming overwhelmed by increasing workload, unable to interact sufficiently with patients and referrers due to pressure of work. With this White Paper, the Board of Directors of the European Society of Radiology (ESR) seeks to briefly explain the position of the radiologist in the modern healthcare environment, considering our duties and contributions as doctors, protectors, communicators, innovators, scientists and teachers. This statement is intended to serve as a summary of the breadth of our responsibilities and roles, and to assist radiologists in countering misunderstanding of who we are and what we do.