Radiology and Participatory Medicine

Before I got involved with the American College of Radiology (ACR), the only radiologist I knew well became a radiologist so he didn’t have to speak with patients. In my own considerable imaging experiences as a patient, I don’t think I ever talked with a radiologist. So, my first reaction to patient- and family-centered care (PFCC) for radiologists was to assume it was some sort of oxymoron. Then came my second thought: that if radiologists can engage in effective participatory medicine, anyone can. As an interested observer of advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), I also assumed it was only a matter of time before the image-reading and report-writing radiologist would need to develop means to better engage patients — if only to avoid being replaced by a machine. It also occurred to me that technology-savvy radiologists could help other clinicians and patients better navigate ever-increasing volumes of data. So I’m delighted to see radiology beginning to aggressively expand their work as models of participatory medicine. Imaging and Patient-Centered Care Radiology plays a significant role in patients’ care and their experiences. The current issue of the Society for Participatory Medicine newsletter gives us an excellent map of the territory into which radiology can expand to add value to patients beyond technical expertise, and provides a valuable model for all areas of medicine. Medicine is full of complex decisions — both for physicians and for pat...
Source: Society for Participatory Medicine - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Newsletter Source Type: news