Professional Challenges Session

PC 23 - When things go wrong: communicating and learning from error

March 2, 09:30 - 11:00 CET

2 min
Chairperson's introduction
Adrian Brady, Cork / Ireland
12 min
Why radiology reports are not always correct
Adrian Brady, Cork / Ireland
  1. To learn the reasons why radiology reports are not always definitive.
  2. To appreciate how radiologists can get things wrong.
  3. To understand why radiology "error" does not automatically imply poor performance.
12 min
Why radiologists should communicate directly with our patients
Ruchira Sinnatamby, Cambridge / United Kingdom
  1. To learn the principles of duty of candour (open disclosure) and when it applies.
  2. To appreciate that we have a responsibility to communicate directly with our patients.
  3. To understand the advantages that direct communication with patients can bring.
12 min
How to make patient communication part of radiologists' workflow
Dominique-Gérard Carrie, Balma / France
  1. To learn what is important in good communication.
  2. To recognise where dangers can arise due to incorrect communication.
  3. To understand how leaving the comfort zone can generate added value for patients.
12 min
When we get it wrong: how to communicate this to patients
Mathias Prokop, Nijmegen / Netherlands
  1. To appreciate that errors in radiology will happen and that you should be prepared to communicate them.
  2. To learn that openness is not only required but also reduces the risk of lawsuits.
  3. To understand which communication channel/setting is most appropriate for a specific issue.
12 min
What training should we provide in patient communication?
Michail Klontzas, Heraklion / Greece
  1. To learn how radiologists can be trained in patient communication.
  2. To appreciate the importance of systematic communication skills training.
  3. To understand how communication skills training can advance the career of a radiologist.
12 min
How do patients view direct communication with radiologists?
Erik Briers, Hasselt / Belgium
  1. To learn that patients, depending on where they live, may rarely have direct contact with radiologists.
  2. To appreciate that when there is direct contact, the patient sees the radiologist as a medical specialist who is involved in her or his disease journey, and the patient expects high-quality information on her or his personal "case".
  3. To understand that in complex cases, the radiologist may only have part of the puzzle and that communication with colleagues needs to precede communication with the patient. The radiologist is an expert who needs to protect the patient's trust.
16 min
Panel discussion: Error/discrepancy in radiology: how do we explain its complexity to the public without losing their confidence?