Do Radiologists ask this routinely?

[Februarydayss]

I had abnormal chest X-ray since November.
Some heavy inflammation in my lung.
I had two separate X-rays each month to see if getting better and on both occasions the Radiologist who took the pic asked me immediately if I will see the DR any time soon, I thought this must be as she could see something isn’t right on the image when they took the image.
My last X-ray was last week and I just found out from my respiratory DR that is back to normal.
while I’m very pleased I now remember that the radiologist asked if I see Dr any time soon.
I did not mention this to my Respiratory Dr when he called me with the result as I was just overwhelmed and happy with the new normal finding.
Now I have this slight doubt why they asked me this?
Is this a routine question to ask patients?
thank you. Perhaps I’m just reading into it too much…

I think it probably is routine. I'm pretty sure I've always been asked.

I have been scanned many many times. I currently have two nodules on my thyroid which have been monitored but I have had many health issues so I have needed ultrasounds and MRI’s.

It is not unusual for them to ask when you’re seeing your doctor next - because they need to know how long they have to prepare the report.

Sometimes they are about to go on leave or the physician in charge can’t sign off on it until a weeks time. So they may ask when you see the doctor next.

I have had issues with scans (in that something serious has come up) and they’ve never said anything at the time because they aren’t allowed.

One time a tech told me not to worry about a lump.

But it’s normal for them to ask when you’re seeing the doctor next.

If you’re worried about cancer ask for a blood test for your c-reactive proteins to check for cancer as well as your white cell count.

I am generally asked. I think it maybe to check you will be getting a follow up whatever the result.

@Intrepidescape ”If you’re worried about cancer ask for a blood test for your c-reactive proteins to check for cancer as well as your white cell count”….

CRP and a white cell count would be utterly useless at diagnosing/excluding cancer.

Thanks everyone. I guess it’s standard to ask. I just don’t remember if they ever asked before in the past- when my result was normal.

You would have seen a Radiographer rather than a Radiologist and that is routine, sometimes a note is made on the computer system if you know your next appointment date, or your images are added to a different reporting queue if they know you have an appointment soon and the waiting times for reporting are a while.

That's a radiographer you have seen, and best practice is to ask the patient when their next appointment is, or if they know what is happening next, or who they are seeing to get results. It is part of a drive from the profession to get more joined up thinking, and make sure that everyone knows where and when the results of that image are expected to be. Picks up errors early, makes sure nothing gets lost in the system. I don't think there was anything significant in this question.

Radiographers should ask if you have a follow-up appointment to get your results. This us as much as anything because people not unreasonably assume that if they hear nothing, everything's fine; whereas your imaging might have been overlooked. Patients need to get the result, good or bad.

Also, be aware that if you've been sent for anything other than s 'plain' X-ray, you've probably escalated beyond your GP. So although your GP will eventually get the result of any diagnostic tests the specialist asked for, the results go to the specialist..

Radiologists (doctors) by and large report imaging; radiographers do the imaging.

@userlotsanumbers
@Fordian
@Potentialscroogeincognito
i was sent for the X-ray by my respiratory consultant so the results would be sent to the respiratory clinic. It’s in the same hospital.

... so that would be the answer to the radiographer's question, wouldn't it?