Can You Request an X-ray Reading?
Yes, you can and should request an X-ray reading from a radiologist, as this is standard medical practice and patients overwhelmingly prefer receiving imaging results directly from radiologists at the time of examination. 1
Standard Practice for X-ray Interpretation
Plain X-ray is the first-line investigation for suspected bone pathology, including primary malignant bone tumors, stress fractures, and osteoporosis-related concerns. 2
All X-rays require formal radiologist interpretation, even when initially reviewed by emergency physicians or other clinicians, as mandated by healthcare accreditation standards. 3
Radiologists must review all emergency department X-rays within 24 hours and document any discrepancies between preliminary and final readings, with a structured follow-up system for clinically significant differences. 3
Patient Rights and Preferences
92% of patients want radiologists to tell them if X-ray results are normal at the time of the examination, with an additional 7% wanting this information if they ask. 1
87% of patients want radiologists to disclose abnormal findings (including serious diagnoses like cancer) immediately, rather than waiting to hear from their referring physician. 1
Patients feel entitled to explanations of their test results directly from the interpreting radiologist, regardless of whether findings are normal or abnormal. 1
Clinical Workflow and Communication
The referring physician should provide essential clinical information when requesting X-rays, including patient age, sex, symptom duration, pain characteristics, and relevant medical history to optimize interpretation accuracy. 2
Radiologists should communicate urgent or significant findings directly to the ordering physician, with category I discrepancies (potentially serious) requiring immediate follow-up and category II-III discrepancies requiring follow-up within 1-3 days. 3
Multidisciplinary communication is vital to ensure X-ray findings are properly acted upon and communicated back to patients, with documented quality improvement processes for discrepant readings. 4, 3
Important Caveats
A normal X-ray does not exclude serious pathology such as primary malignant bone tumors or stress fractures, and persistent symptoms require urgent MRI or referral to a specialist center. 2
Swedish physicians are more reluctant than American counterparts to allow radiologists to disclose results directly to patients, though this practice is increasingly accepted as patient-centered care. 5
Non-expert physicians benefit significantly from AI-assisted X-ray interpretation with visual annotations, achieving higher diagnostic accuracy when receiving explainable AI advice compared to unannotated advice. 6