Organized radiology wants to raise the specialty's profile with patients, but it may be hitting resistance from both patients and radiologists, according to an article published on Monday in the New York Times.
The story, titled "Radiologists Are Reducing the Pain of Uncertainty," describes recent efforts in radiology to make radiologists more accessible to patients, as evidenced by initiatives by RSNA and the American College of Radiology (ACR). Radiologists are being told to provide test results directly to patients and to meet with them if necessary, the story states.
But some radiologists have been slow to change. "Many radiologists remain sequestered in dark rooms," according to the article, and one radiologist from Stanford University is quoted as saying that patients almost never ask to see their scans or talk to him.
The article concludes by quoting two patients who said they tried to speak with radiologists about their scans but encountered difficulties. One patient said his radiologist "seemed physically afraid of me" when he walked into the doctor's office.
