Should nuclear medicine physicians give the results of radioisotope examinations directly to patients?

Abstract

Patients often ask for the results after a radioisotope procedure, which can make nuclear medicine physicians feel uncomfortable. In Belgium, nuclear medicine physicians are not supposed to disclose results directly to patients, but to send them to the referring physician. We undertook this work to determine the official rules and practical attitudes in other countries. An introductory letter and a questionnaire were sent to 103 eminent nuclear medicine specialists from 37 countries. Seventy responses (32 countries) were received. Official rules seemed to exist in only seven countries. Most of the respondents indicated that their attitude depended on the clinical situation and the results of the test. Many respondents emphasized that, while in some situations the results should be communicated directly to patients in order to initiate treatment rapidly, in other situations, such as cancer, the referring physician was better suited to disclose the results. The advantages and drawbacks of different attitudes are discussed. Practically and universally applicable rules are difficult to establish, but choosing one solution remains preferable to no standardized attitude at all. An official body, including the medical community, representatives of the population and legal experts, should define an official rule which should be widely communicated, stressing its advantages and drawbacks. In practice, all nuclear medicine physicians would have to do would be to stick to the rule.