• communication
• patient
• patient-centered
• radiological department
• radiologist
• satisfaction
• technician
• waiting room

Over the last decades, the radiologist is much more responsible towards patients and society. Patients are much more aware and informed of their illness and feel they have the right to have as much information as possible. A radiologist should have good communicative skills in order to create empathy and a much more intimate relationship with the patient. Nowadays radiologists are not willing to establish a dialogue with the patient. They are used to dealing only with the accuracy and completeness of the diagnosis and reporting. In doing so, he tends to maintain a certain distance with the patient compared to the role of physician who, instead, has the task to explain the content of reporting.
The aim of our work is to examine the communicative aspects which exist between a patient and the two professional figures that work in a radiological department, for instance the radiologist and the radiological technician; also the perception that the patient himself has regarding Imaging examinations in order to diagnose and follow-up his illness.
During June and July 2017, I carried out two surveys which took place in the waiting room of the department of Radiology 3 in the hospital of Santa Chiara which belongs to the university polyclinic in Pisa, the so-called Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana (AOUP). The questions were addressed to all the patients who were waiting in that room. There were two kinds of surveys that I have created in collaboration with LabCom (Laboratorio di Comunicazione in Medicina): the first one was an “Entry” survey whilst the second one was an “Exit” survey.
Statistical methods were descriptive summary statistics, chi-square test and significance.
The personal data which is present in the Entry survey allows us to rank and categorize patients who have undergone radiological examinations. The number of patients who have been interviewed is 400. Amongst these patients, there were 112 men (28%) and 288 women (72%).
The most significant age groups are patients from 41 to 65 and over 65, in detail: 10 patients (2.5%) from 18 to 30, 15 patients (3.8%) from 31 to 40, 209 patients (52.2%) from 41 to 65, 166 patients (41.5%) over 65.
Regarding the educational level of patients who have been interviewed, 82 of them (20.5%) have not gone beyond primary education, 96 (24%) have not gone beyond lower secondary education, 139 (34.7%) have attained an upper secondary educational qualification, and 83 patients (20.75%) have attained a degree.
Patients’ concern regarding the performance of the examination was quite low: 267 patients (66.75%) answered that they were “not concerned at all”, 72 (18%) answered that they were “slightly concerned”, 32 patients (8%) were “concerned” and 29 patients (7.25%) were “very concerned”.
The comfort of the waiting room contributes to improve the quality of waiting before the examination: 249 patients (62.25%) answered that they were “very satisfied”, 111 (27.75%) were “satisfied”, 34 patients (8.5%) were “somewhat satisfied”, 6 patients (1.5%) answered that they were “not at all satisfied”.
The ninth question of the “Exit” survey asks patients to say who, in their opinion, carried out the diagnosis, 294 patients (93.04%) answered “the radiologist”; whilst the tenth question asks patients to say what role the technician has in the radiological department: 239 patients (75.63%) answered “manage the machine”.
Finally, the department of Radiology 3, in the hospital of Santa Chiara in Pisa, has received positive feedbacks regarding its general evaluation: 199 patients (49.75%) answered that they were “very satisfied”, 191 patients (47.75%) answered that they were “satisfied”.
In this way, patients appreciate the communicative aspects with their radiologist; they want to be treated with respect, they shouldn’t be considered as numbers and they shouldn’t be identified with their disease.
Patients have a good knowledge of the radiologist’s profession and they are aware that the radiologist has the task to interpret imaging studies and to make the diagnosis; they can distinguish the two main professional figures in the department which are the radiologist and the technician.