From the patient in focus to you …..what is to come next?

Abstract

The goal of the European Society of Radiology (ESR) Patient Advisory Group is to bring patients, the public, and imaging professionals together to positively influence advances in the field of medical imaging to the benefit of patients in Europe. At the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2022 with the theme of ‘Building Bridges’, the Patients in Focus programme was organised in close collaboration with the ESR Patient Advisory Group (ESR-PAG). A total of 15 sessions were held at July's congress with the aim of improving communication between patients, doctors, and radiographers. Speakers included patients, radiologists, radiographers, and representatives from other medical disciplines, all appreciative for this opportunity to shine a light on patient-centered radiology. This Guest Editorial summarises key sessions from this programme. For many patients, the contribution of the radiology department is of the utmost importance. The aim of ESR-PAG's switching roles session was to raise awareness and be mindful of the need to focus on patient-centered care. Often, it is only when facing difficult situations that people then understand what matters to them. By stepping into the patients' shoes, imaging experts can switch perspective, which allows them to see more clearly patient's actual needs. The ESR-PAG encourages radiology departments to engage in this idea of switching roles from time to time to improve the interaction and patients’ experiences. In this session, both radiologist and patient members of the ESR-PAG, shared their own patient stories and personal radiological experiences. This session set out learning objectives, essentially to understand that different types of interaction between medical imaging professionals and patients can have a positive and, in some cases, negative impact; and to appreciate that listening, transparency, and attentiveness to patients’ needs can contribute to improvements in service and care. ESR-PAG speakers highlighted the importance of effective communication between imaging healthcare professionals and patients. ESR-PAG members also presented content from the PATIENT CARERS AIMS paper published in March 2022).1European Society of Radiology (ESR)What radiologists need to know about patients' expectations: P.A.T.I.E.N.T.S C.A.R.E.R.S A.I.M.S.Insights Imag. 2022; 13: 53https://doi.org/10.1186/s13244-022-01184-wGoogle Scholar As part of the published paper, the ESR-PAG members developed an “Always Consider the Needs of Your Patients” poster which was presented in the session and displayed in the auditorium. The mnemonic PATIENTS CARERS AIMS highlighted patients’ expectations before, during, and after imaging examinations, from ensuring patients feel informed, reassured, comfortable and safe throughout their imaging examination(s) to ascertaining if patients considered their imaging experience satisfactory. The paper and poster can be found here: https://www.myesr.org/patient-information. Both the ESR and ESR-PAG encourage radiology departments to download and share the paper with all medical imaging/radiology staff and to enlarge and print the poster which can be displayed in departments. This session looked at what patients want to know about their examinations. It outlined that in some cases, patients wish to know more about their examinations than the results alone and the topic of open disclosure was discussed by radiographers from the patient perspective. It emphasised that patients have the right to understand more about the examinations than just the procedures performed. The session explored topical issues important to patients which often present challenges for radiographers. For example, why radiographers may not always be confident, or in a position, to have difficult conversations with patients and it was discussed what national societies, educational institutions, and individual radiographers can do to overcome this. Another Patient in Focus lecture focused on radiographer–patient interaction and the need for radiographers to communicate even when they do not speak. Non- and para-verbal communication can be an important tool for the relationship between radiographers and patients. Radiographers may reflect on how they approach patients non-verbally and factor in cultural differences, e.g. gestures and body language, understanding that this can communicate different messages in different cultures. The official launch of ‘Be accepted’ took place at ECR 2022; a campaign founded by ESR-PAG Chair and breast cancer patient, Caroline Justich, that is supported by the ESR. ‘Be accepted’ supports women from the moment they are diagnosed with cancer and throughout their whole journey. For radiologists and radiographers, ‘Be accepted’ optimises patient communication and workflow and, on a multidisciplinary level, all medical specialists can benefit from informed and well-prepared patients. ‘Be accepted’ aims to catch patients at the very beginning of their journey, when often in shock after their diagnosis, and offers them guidance and a concrete plan to put into action, along with positive perspectives. Be accepted's focus lies clearly on conventional medicine but also bridges the gap between conventional and complementary medicine; also providing holistic support throughout the course of the disease to support patients to remain physically and emotionally strong to ensure so they are able to receive as many medical treatments as possible at the same time, in the short and long term. The information is filtered, meaning it is summarised useable information, and evidence-based, from the most qualified experts, giving patients a head-start in knowledge, factoring in timescales in relation to disease and treatments. It underlines the important role of medical imaging professionals as gatekeepers for patients from the start, at diagnoses, to the end of their radiation therapy and treatment and demonstrates how medical imaging professionals can achieve this in practice. ‘Be accepted’ is available in print and online: https://be-accepted.com/language/en/home/. Knowing what to expect from a medical examination during and after the examination and how to prepare for a radiological examination makes a patient's life much easier. It not only benefits the patient but also the radiology department with regards to optimisation of workflow, patient communication, and cost optimisation. This session's aim was to start an initiative on a cross-border level, to reach out to patients and educate them in an understandable way, with the aim to overcome language barriers. The implementation will be presented at the ECR 2023, which will outline how this idea, using posters, can be put into action to create a standardised practice for the public. This session reiterated the major role that radiographers play in patient's lives, drawing attention to the fact that radiographers accompany patients throughout their necessary imaging examinations and radiation therapy treatments. The quality of medical images and the interpretation of images is key in radiology and medical imaging professionals have important roles to play. The radiologists are often behind the scenes, assessing images, and delivering diagnostic reports. Radiographers help patients throughout the procedures and are often the first point of contact. Additional staff, administrative staff, healthcare assistants, and others, also play an important role in helping and assisting patients whilst they are visiting the radiology department. There are so many players who influence the patients’ journey through the department and the imaging procedure. All radiology department ‘players’ need to do their utmost to provide the patient with the best quality service. It is important for staff to understand if patients are satisfied. Regardless of workload and pressure to deliver imaging procedures, staff should remain attentive to the patients' all-round needs. The imaging procedures might be carried out perfectly, but does the patient consider the experience is to their satisfaction. The session included case studies where questionnaires were used to “measure” satisfaction. To learn more about the range of patients views that the questionnaires revealed, visit: https://connect.myesr.org/course/listen-to-your-patients-listening-to-the-patient-to-improve-the-quality-of-service-to-your-patients/ Several sessions focussed on early detection. It is well known that cancers are more treatable and curable, in general, if they are detected at an early stage. In the process of early detection imaging is, of course, very important. For prostate cancer and lung cancer the European Commission has indicated the need for the member states to organise real, pragmatic trials, to be followed up by a system of population screening. For both cancers, clinicians provide scientific evidence on early detection and diagnosis. Patient advocates from Europa Uomo (prostate cancer) and Lung Cancer Europe highlighted the patients’ voice. The Patient in Focus program at ECR 2022 received a tremendous amount of positive feedback. Now it is up to all the stakeholders to implement the feedback and work to put areas of improvement into action.