Curbside consults: Practices, pitfalls and legal issues.
Clin Imaging
; 57: 83-86, 2019.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31163294
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
"Curbside consults" are informal opinions provided by one physician to another. In radiology, it often refers to opinions rendered on imaging performed at outside facilities and has evolved from being a targeted response to a discrete clinical question to a complete over-read in recent years. Given that the consults are usually sought for patients with complex conditions, the potential for error increases with informal reads, often due to the time constraint and lack of adequate information. Misinterpretations and inaccurate documentation by the referring clinician are also more likely. This study assesses the policies and views on curbside consults at academic centers in the United States. MATERIALS ANDMETHODS:
An online survey (via SurveyMonkey.com) was circulated to the 319 active radiologist members of the Association of Program Directors. There were 80 responses, representing a 25% response rate.RESULTS:
While most facilities provided second reads (92%), only a few (23%) provided written reports and read the case entirely. The majority (77%) tailored their read to answer specific clinical questions. Approximately two-thirds did not require the outside radiologist's report to be available before their interpretation. Seventy-nine percent were at least mildly concerned about liability. Up to 45% billed for the study; 39% were not aware of the billing practice.CONCLUSION:
Curbside consults are widely provided at U.S. academic institutions with only a minority documenting their opinions. The majority are concerned about the legal implications and this paper puts forth recommendations to minimize the potential for errors in patient care and decrease liability.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Radiology
/
Referral and Consultation
/
Practice Patterns, Physicians'
Type of study:
Guideline
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
America do norte
Language:
En
Journal:
Clin Imaging
Journal subject:
DIAGNOSTICO POR IMAGEM
Year:
2019
Document type:
Article