Radiologic reporting: the ethical obligation of the interpreting physician to provide an accurate report.

Abstract

This article focuses on the radiology report and examines how related errors can affect patient care even though the radiologist might resist disclosing or discussing reporting errors in a patient-centered way. By using scenarios involving issues in reporting, we hope to show how various ethical theories support the obligation of a radiologist to provide an honest, complete report and to ensure that errors are disclosed to patients. Radiologists should be willing to make corrections when necessary and ethical theories and principles are available to guide them in their duty to care for their patients. Physicians owe it to their patients, their patients' families, and the medical profession to produce an honest and truthful report. Despite temptations to deviate from ethically appropriate action, physicians must make honesty to their patients and reporting of errors a priority. Few patients expect absolute perfection from their physicians, but honesty and truthfulness in reporting will advance physician-patient and physician-physician relationships and can foster optimal patient care.