The radiological report: what is useful for the referring physician?

To assess what constitutes a useful radiological report for referring physicians, we sent a questionnaire to 200 doctors (general practitioners, internists, and surgeons). Questions testing style, length of the report, and several points of content, including mention of clinical correlation, negative findings, and sequence of further investigations, were included. The principal qualities useful to the clinician were clarity, brevity, and clinical correlation. Advice on planning of future investigations was especially valued by general practitioners.