- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Herbal Remedy Could Halt Peanut Allergy
- New Spray Could Benefit Cystic Fibrosis Patients
- Air Quality Better in Northeast, Midwest
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Relaxation Tapes or Mozart Lower Blood Pressure
- Acupuncture May Help Restore Lost Sense of Smell
- Licorice May Block Absorption of Organ Transplant Drug
- ANIMAL CARE
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Put Your Best Foot Forward Next Year
- Majority of College Students Report Backpack-Related Pain
- Tequila Plant May Help Fight Bone Loss
- CANCER
- Poor Women Seem to Be Skipping Breast Cancer Drugs
- Sharing Cancer Info May Be Empowering
- Lifting Weights Can Ease Arm Swelling in Breast Cancer Survivors
- CAREGIVING
- Critically Ill Patients Lack Vitamin D
- Children's Bath Products Contain Contaminants
- Baby's Sleep Position May Not Affect Severity of Head Flattening
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Walk 100 Steps a Minute for 'Moderate' Exercise
- Drink a Little Wine, Live a Little Longer
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- COSMETIC
- Get Sugared!.... Its a sweet choice for hair removal
- Study Evaluates Laser Therapies for Hair Removal
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Sports Drinks May Be Tough on Teeth
- Rheumatoid Arthritis May Harm Gums
- Biological Product Shows Promise Against Gum Disease
- DIABETES
- Laughter May Lower Heart Attack Risk in Diabetics
- 24 Million Americans Had Diabetes in 2007
- Fish Twice a Week Cuts Diabetics' Kidney Risks
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Occaisonal Dieting May Cut Breast Cancer, Study Says
- Breakfast Eggs Keep Folks on Diet
- Go Healthy, Not Hungry for Holiday Eating
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Vitamin D Deficit May Trigger MS Risk Gene
- Short-Term Air Pollution Exposure May Damage DNA
- Stomach Germ May Protect Against Asthma
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Unconscious Learning: In the Eye of the Beholder?
- Glaucoma Treatment Can Prevent Blindness
- Antioxidant-Rich Diet May Protect Against Eye Disease
- FITNESS
- Meditation May Help Put Primary Insomnia to Bed
- MRSA Infections Can Bug Fitness Buffs
- Run for Your Life
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Traditional Nonsurgical GERD Treatments Not Impressive
- New Guidelines Issued for Management of IBS
- HRT Use Raises Risk of Stomach Trouble
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Poor Restroom Cleaning Causes Cruise-Ship Sickness
- Even Young Kids Can Learn CPR
- Want Sun Protection? Wear Red or Blue
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Save Your Aging Brain, Try Surfing The Web
- Airport Full Body Scanners Pose No Health Threat: Experts
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Too-Low Blood Pressure Can Also Bring Danger
- Research Shows Genetic Activity of Antioxidants
- Risk Factor for Stroke More Common Among Whites
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Bacterial Infections May Succumb to Honey
- Swine Flu Closes Three Schools in NYC
- Grapefruit Compound Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus
- KID'S HEALTH
- Play Creatively as a Kid, Be a Healthier Adult
- Bullying Seems to Affect Kids Years Later
- Dangerous Toys Still on Store Shelves, Report Finds
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
- Noise Hurts Men's Hearing More, Study Shows
- Low Vitamin D Levels May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Eight Spiritual Universal Principles in the Art of Practice
- Environmental Chemicals May Affect Male Reproduction
- Man's Best Friend Helps Mend Broken Hearts
- PAIN
- Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Acupuncture, Real or Fake, Eases Back Pain
- Tai Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
- PREGNANCY
- Acupuncture May Relieve Acid Indigestation In Pregnancy
- Yoga's Benefits Outweigh Risks for Pregnant Women
- Pre-Pregnancy Weight Linked to Babies' Heart Problems
- SENIORS
- Martial Arts Training May Save Seniors' Hips
- Save Your Aging Brain, Try Surfing The Web
- For Older Walkers, Faster Is Better
Patients' Photos Help Boost Radiologists' Accuracy
By eHolistic.com Published: 12/02/2008
TUESDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Clipping a photo of the patient next to their radiological scans helps humanize each case and boosts the accuracy with which scans are read by radiologists, a new study finds.
As technological advances have further distanced the radiologist from interaction with the patient, putting a patient's photo in his or her file may enable a more personal and empathetic approach, according to an Israeli study expected to be presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, in Chicago.
"Our study emphasizes approaching the patient as a human being and not as an anonymous case study," lead author Dr. Yehonatan N. Turner, radiology resident at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, said in a news release issued by the conference's organizer. "We feel it is important to counteract the anonymity that is common in radiologic exams, especially with the growth of teleradiology."
For the study, radiologists reviewed patients' files electronically via their hospital's picture archiving and communication system (PACS), a network for the storage and retrieval of medical images. When the files were open, the patient's photograph appeared automatically.
The results showed that radiologists gave a more meticulous reading of the medical images when a patient photo accompanied the file. For example, about 80 percent of the radiologic incidental findings reported originally were not reported when the radiologist re-examined the files three months later with the patient's photograph omitted from the file.
After reviewing the files, the radiologists all said they felt more empathy toward the patients after viewing their photos. The photographs often revealed key medical information, such as suffering or physical signs of disease, the doctors said.
"The photos were very helpful both in terms of improving diagnosis and the physicians own feelings as caregivers," Turner said. "Down the road, we would like to see photos added to all radiology case files."
More information
The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more about diagnostic imaging.
-- Kevin McKeever
SOURCE: Radiological Society of North America, news release, Dec. 2, 2008
Last Updated: Dec. 02, 2008
Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
More articles at www.eholistic.com
