National Guideline Clearinghouse | ACR practice guideline for communication of diagnostic imaging findings.

Blogger's Note: selected section of interest:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Self-Referred and Third Party Referred Patients
Most patients having imaging procedures are referred by physicians or other health care professionals. Some patients, however, are self-referred, such as for mammography, or are referred by a third party, such as an insurer or employer.

1. Self-Referred Patients Interpreting physicians should recognize that performing imaging studies on self-referred patients establishes a doctor-patient relationship that includes responsibility for communicating the results of imaging studies directly to the patient and arranging for appropriate follow-up.
   

2. Third-Party Referred Patients It is not unusual for patients to be referred for imaging studies by insurance companies, employers, federal benefits programs, and in some instances lawyers. In such cases the reports of the studies are frequently communicated through the requesting entity to a clinician or directly to the third-party-designated clinician. The results of the examinations are then communicated to the patient either directly by the third party or by its designated clinician. Regardless of the source of the referral, the interpreting physician has an ethical responsibility to ensure communication of unexpected or serious findings to the patient. Therefore, in certain situations the interpreting physician may feel it is appropriate to communicate the findings directly to the patient.