- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Know Your Asthma Triggers
- Obesity May Raise Kids' Allergy Risk
- Folic Acid Might Offer Allergy Relief
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Could Chinese Herb Be a Natural Viagra?
- Hypnosis Cuts Hot Flashes for Breast Cancer Survivors
- Garlic Yields Up Its Health Secret
- ANIMAL CARE
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- Beware of Dog Bites
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Low Vitamin D Raises Women's Hip Fracture Risk
- Study Shows Exercise Shields Against Osteoporosis
- Winter Is Tough on Feet
- CANCER
- Supplements Might Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
- Acupuncture May Help Relieve Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- More Americans Urged to Get Cancer Screenings
- CAREGIVING
- With Alzheimer's, Health-Care Costs Could Triple
- Birthmark or Blood Vessel Problem?
- Many Alzheimer's Caregivers Admit to Abusive Behavior
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Exercise Extends Life of Kidney Patients
- A Brisk Pace May Keep Stroke at Bay
- Salt Boosts Blood Pressure in High-Risk Patients
- COSMETIC
- Get Sugared!.... Its a sweet choice for hair removal
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Gum Disease May Reactivate AIDS Virus
- Dental Implants Need More Work Than Root Canals
- An Oral Approach to Heart Disease
- DIABETES
- Doctors Urged to Screen Diabetics for Sleep Apnea
- Poor Blood Sugar Control After Heart Surgery Impacts Outcomes
- Patients' Photos Help Boost Radiologists' Accuracy
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Indian Spice May Thwart Liver Damage
- 5 Reasons why you could gain weight while dieting
- Occaisonal Dieting May Cut Breast Cancer, Study Says
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Disinfectants Can Boost Bacteria's Resistance to Treatment
- Is It Safe to Go in the Gulf Coast's Water?
- Golf Course Insecticides Pose Little Danger to Players
- EYE CARE, VISION
- When Gauging Age, the Eyes Have It
- Eye Disease, Cognitive Decline Linked in Study
- Poor Night Vision May Predict Age-Related Eye Disease
- FITNESS
- When It Comes to Lifting, the Pros Have Your Back
- Vigorous Exercise Can Cut Breast Cancer Risk
- Almost Two-Thirds of Americans Meet Exercise Guidelines
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Bowel Prep Harder on Women Than Men
- HRT Use Raises Risk of Stomach Trouble
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Daylight Savings: Not a Bright Time for All
- Keep Fire Safety in Mind as You Celebrate
- A Honey of a Sinusitis Treatment
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression
- Combating Myths About Seasonal Allergies
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Toothbrushing May Stave Off Heart Woes
- Research Shows Genetic Activity of Antioxidants
- Kids With Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Heart Trouble
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Poor Restroom Cleaning Causes Cruise-Ship Sickness
- Bacterial Infections May Succumb to Honey
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
- KID'S HEALTH
- Scorpion Anti-Venom Speeds Children's Recovery
- Older People at Greater Risk of Swine Flu Death
- Traffic Seems to Make Kids' Asthma Worse
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
- Drinking Green Tea May Slow Prostate Cancer
- Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Man's Best Friend Helps Mend Broken Hearts
- Positive Brain Changes Seen After Body-Mind Meditation
- Fear Response May Stem From Protein in Brain
- PAIN
- Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Tai Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
- Are We Exercising Pain Away? Not So Much.
- PREGNANCY
- Alternative Treatments May Boost IVF Success
- Music of Mozart Soothes the Preemie Baby
- Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
- SENIORS
- Memory Loss Help from Brain Supplement Prevagen
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- Daily dose of beet juice promotes brain health in older adults
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
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