Radiology resident Dr. Andrew Gunn and colleagues sought to find out what physicians think of radiologists' recommendations in reports through an online survey of 229 primary care physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital.
They received responses from 100 doctors (43.6%) who had spent nearly 20 years, on average, in practice. Overall, these physicians appreciated receiving recommendations, but half had problems with them. Thirty-six percent felt that radiologists made too many recommendations, and 11% felt there were too few. Nearly all (94%) felt legally obligated by recommendations, but this concern about medicolegal issues was minimized for 58% if the radiologist added qualifying language to the recommendation.
Precisely what radiologists say in their recommendations and where they place the recommendation in the body of the report can significantly affect how ordering clinicians will respond, the researchers concluded.
