Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Radiol. May 28, 2024; 16(5): 109-114
Published online May 28, 2024. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v16.i5.109
Interdepartmental miscommunication regarding radiology: Addressing chronic challenges and exploring solutions
Nikolaos-Achilleas Arkoudis, Emmanouil Karofylakis, Ornella Moschovaki-Zeiger, Spyridon Prountzos, Evgenia Efthymiou, George Samonis, Christos Koutserimpas
Nikolaos-Achilleas Arkoudis, Evgenia Efthymiou, Research Unit of Radiology and Medical Imaging, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11528, Greece
Nikolaos-Achilleas Arkoudis, Ornella Moschovaki-Zeiger, Spyridon Prountzos, Evgenia Efthymiou, The Second Department of Radiology, General University Hospital “Attikon”, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Chaidari 12462, Greece
Emmanouil Karofylakis, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
George Samonis, Department of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete 71500, Greece
George Samonis, The First Department of Oncology, Metropolitan Hospital, Neon Faliron, Athens 18547, Greece
Christos Koutserimpas, Orthopaedics Surgery and Sports Medicine Department, FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Croix-Rousse Hospital, Lyon University Hospital, Lyon 69004, France
Christos Koutserimpas, Department of Anatomy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
Author contributions: Koutserimpas C and Samonis G, assisted with reviewing and editing the manuscript and supervising its preparation; Arkoudis NA and Karofylakis E assisted with the conceptualization, visualization, and writing the original draft; Moschovaki-Zeiger O, Prountzos S, and Efthymiou E assisted with writing the original draft; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have nothing to disclose.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Nikolaos-Achilleas Arkoudis, MD, MSc, PhD, Consultant Radiologist, Research Fellow, Research Unit of Radiology and Medical Imaging, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 19 Papadiamantopoulou, Athens 11528, Greece. nick.arkoudis@gmail.com
Received: March 26, 2024
Revised: April 24, 2024
Accepted: April 28, 2024
Published online: May 28, 2024
Processing time: 58 Days and 12.3 Hours
Abstract

Effective communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals are crucial for delivering high-quality patient care. Interdepartmental miscommunication poses a significant challenge to healthcare systems, potentially undermining the quality of healthcare services provided. In the same manner, communication barriers between referring physicians and radiologists can specifically affect radiology services and patient outcomes. This article attempts to put the spotlight on the ever-present chronic challenges of this issue and prompt readers to recognize the relevant potential pitfalls in their daily clinical practice. Practical solutions are explored and proposed, which should be tailored to the specific needs and issues that each individual institution may face.

Keywords: Radiology; Miscommunication; Collaboration; Barriers; Solutions; Patient care; Healthcare services; Referring physician; Challenges; Medical

Core Tip: Successful collaboration across healthcare disciplines is vital for delivering the best patient care. Miscommunication between departments and challenges in communication between referring physicians and radiologists can compromise radiology services, risking both patient outcomes and the overall quality of healthcare services provided. This article emphasizes these ongoing communication challenges, prompting readers to recognize potential pitfalls in their daily clinical practice. Additionally, practical solutions are provided that should be tailored to the specific needs and challenges faced by each individual healthcare institution.