Journal of the American College of Radiology : JACR
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The Society of Breast Imaging and the Education Committee of the ACR Breast Commission conducted a survey of breast imaging fellowship programs to determine the status of fellowship curricula, help identify strengths and potential areas for improvement, and assess the current demand for fellowship programs. ⋯ Breast imaging fellowships are currently in higher demand than in the past. Most fellowship programs provide training in the key imaging modalities and interventional procedures. Potential gaps in training for many programs include the practice audit, quality control procedures, breast positioning, and mammography technical factors.
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Historically, radiologists' official written reports have functionally been proprietary communications between radiologists and referring providers. Although never secret, these reports have traditionally been archived in the medical record, with tightly controlled access. Patients rarely viewed reports directly. ⋯ In this paper, we outline the challenges and opportunities that arise from direct patient access to radiology reports via web-based portals, and propose an approach to optimizing radiologists' reports in an era of enhanced transparency. We conclude that, in effect, the health information web portal is a "train which has left the station"; patient portals are a nationwide reality, and transparency is now a public and professional expectation. Radiologists urgently need to consider quality implications for their report writing in order to address the challenges these developments pose, and to best harness the potential benefits for patients and providers.