Are General Practitioners’ Imaging Requests Indicated for Diagnostic or Clinical Management Purposes? A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Requests for useful imaging investigations are primarily those whose results, if positive or negative, will add confidence to the referrers‟ diagnoses or aid in any future clinical management plans. Hence, referrers need to be aware if they are about to repeat investigations that have already been recently done; if they intend to undertake investigations when their results are unlikely to affect the patients‟ diagnoses or clinical management; if they are seeking to investigate too early, if they are about to choose the wrong imaging modality, or if they are failing to provide all the appropriate clinical information that seeks to address the clinical questions that need to be answered. This literature review has highlighted several important aspects that are already known with respect to the radiation dose justification and optimisation. Moreover, it has evaluated the current main issues relating to the physicians‟ awareness in radiation safety and imaging referral processes, as well as the appropriateness behind requesting ionizing imaging investigations. Certain gaps and conflicts in the literature were also identified.