Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32372369›Full record

ArticleInsights into imaging2020

Enhancing clinician and patient understanding of radiology reports: a scoping review of international guidelines.

Caitlin I Farmer, Allison M Bourne, Denise O'Connor, Jeffrey G Jarvik, Rachelle Buchbinder

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Insights into imaging, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Lexomics, or why to extract relevant information from radiology reports through LLMs.International journal of computer assisted radiology and surgery · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. American College of Veterinary Radiology and European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging consensus statement on imaging report foundations.Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association · 2025
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Clinicians' interpretation of ventilation/perfusion lung scan reports: Where are we today?African journal of thoracic and critical care medicine · 2023
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Enhancing Communication and Consent Using 3-D Printed Models With a Pediatric Dental Patient Presenting With Odontogenic Keratocysts Associated With Gorlin Syndrome: A Case Report.Special care in dentistry : official publication of the American Association of Hospital Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry for the Handicapped, and the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Caitlin I FarmerMonash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Institute, 4 Drysdale St, Malvern, VIC, 3144, Australia. caitlin.farmer1@monash.edu.
Allison M BourneMonash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Institute, 4 Drysdale St, Malvern, VIC, 3144, Australia.
Denise O'ConnorMonash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Institute, 4 Drysdale St, Malvern, VIC, 3144, Australia.
Jeffrey G JarvikDepartments of Radiology, Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine and Health Services, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Rachelle BuchbinderMonash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Institute, 4 Drysdale St, Malvern, VIC, 3144, Australia.

Funding

UW Core Center for Clinical Research of Musculoskeletal ConditionsP30AR072572 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI JEFFREY G JARVIK, Pradeep Suri · 2017 to 2026
$8.3M
National Health and Medical Research Council APP1113532National Health and Medical Research Council APP1168749National Health and Medical Research Council ID 1082138NIAMS NIH HHS P30 AR072572NIAMS NIH HHS P30AR072572
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Imaging reports are the primary method of communicating diagnostic imaging findings between the radiologist and the referring clinician. Guidelines produced by professional bodies provide guidance on content and format of imaging reports, but the extent to which they consider comprehensibility for referring clinicians and their patients is unclear. The objective of this review was to determine the extent to which radiology reporting guidelines consider comprehensibility of imaging reports for referring clinicians and patients.We performed a scoping review of English-language diagnostic imaging reporting guidelines. We searched electronic databases (OVID MEDLINE, Embase) and websites of radiological professional organisations to identify guidelines. The extent to which the guidelines recommended essential report features such as technical information, content, format and language, as well as features to enhance comprehensibility, such as lay language summaries, was recorded.Six guidelines from professional bodies representing radiologists from the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Hong Kong, the UK and Europe were identified from the search. Inconsistencies exist between guidelines in their recommendations, and they rarely consider that patients may read the report. No guideline made recommendations about the reporting of results considering the clinical context, and none recommended features preferred by patients such as lay language summaries. This review identifies an opportunity for future radiology reporting guidelines to give greater consideration to referring clinician and patient preferences.

Indexed as

ComprehensionDiagnostic imagingGuidelines as topicRadiologyReview

Identifiers

PMID32372369
PMCPMC7200955

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.