The Written Radiology Report‪.‬

The written radiology report is the most critical component of the service provided by a radiologist. It constitutes the formal documentation and communication of the results of a radiologic study or procedure. (1) The reports are usually dictated by a trained radiologist, but reports may vary greatly in style, format, and effectiveness. A major cause of litigation against radiologists is failure to effectively communicate results. (2,3) As radiologists, it is time that we look at this issue with renewed diligence. Part of the problem with radiology reports arises because we do not really understand how important this document has become to the nonradiologist caregiver. 4 This lapse is more understandable when you realize that most major radiology textbooks do not address the subject of report composition. This would be equivalent to a journalism textbook without a chapter on how to write an article. But journalism and radiology have a lot in common. Both professions require spending a great deal of time gathering "facts" and "data" and then reporting that material in written form for a reader.