The radiologist’s playbook for faster communication of critical test results 

Clinical teams know swift communication can mean the difference between life and death for patients. Nowhere is this more evident than in radiology, where critical results drive urgent medical decisions.  

Despite advancements in imaging technology and diagnostics, communication breakdowns threaten patient safety. Radiologists are often at the center of time-sensitive findings, but without effective workflows, critical test results can slip through the cracks. 

Bridging that gap requires more than clinical expertise; it demands smarter processes and tools. To support this, we’ve created a practical playbook to help your radiology department leverage best practices for conveying test results:  
 

1. Closed-loop communication is non-negotiable 

Fast communication is only effective if acted upon.  

During critical care scenarios, especially in radiology, test results must be received, acknowledged, and addressed—with every step of the communication workflow tracked and documented. 

With closed-loop communication, hospitals can ensure that: 

• Timely action is taken on critical test results to support patient safety and outcomes
• Communication is streamlined by reducing unreturned calls and redundant messages  
• Insights are provided about message acknowledgement and response 
• Notifications remain visible until resolved and reduce the risk of oversight 
• Workflows are aligned with clinical urgency rather than system defaults 

All in all, closed-loop communication saves valuable clinician time while empowering radiologists to actively coordinate care rather than simply share information. 

2. Escalation steps are clearly defined and automated within your radiology workflow  

What happens if the ordering physician doesn’t respond in time? 

A poorly organized or manual escalation process slows critical alerts, leading to delayed diagnoses and patient treatment plans.  

Well-structured escalation protocols should:  

• Outline time limits for acknowledgments from the ordering physician 
• Provide automatic alerts to backup providers 
• Log all communication attempts for auditing and compliance  

In high-stakes environments like radiology, effective escalation paths are more than a helpful feature; they safeguard against error and inaction.  

3. Ordering providers are easily reachable on their preferred device to deliver critical results 

One of the most common challenges in radiology workflow management is not being able to reach the ordering clinicians. EHR contact details might point to a general office number or coordinator rather than the physician responsible for follow-up treatment.  

To avoid delays, your communication process should:  

• Identify in real time which clinician is currently on call and notify accordingly 
• Route alerts for critical test results to the right provider successfully on their preferred devices  

Without accurate, up-to-date tools, even the most urgent messages can get lost in the shuffle and cause avoidable setbacks in patient care. Streamlined access to critical results delivered to the provider’s device of preference is essential for quick action.  

4. Acknowledgement and response times are tracked and integrated within your radiology workflow 

When it comes to critical test results, simply sending the alert isn’t enough. What truly matters is receiving, acknowledging, and acting upon this information as soon as possible.  

In radiology, where findings can have life-altering implications, delayed responses can lead to serious consequences for patient recovery.  

That’s why modern clinician communication systems must go beyond basic alerting; they must offer transparency about when notifications are received and how long it takes to respond.  

Within your radiology workflow, you should be tracking and reporting on:  

• Timestamped confirmation logs that provide information for auditing purposes 
• Overdue alerts for critical test results that are not acknowledged within a specific time 
• Average response times for urgent, incidental, and critical results

Beyond patient safety and radiology workflow management, this visibility and reporting are vital for meeting compliance standards. For example, The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals®  (NPSG.02.03.01) states that hospitals should “get important test results to the right staff person on time.”

Demonstrating that you have efficient systems that track, escalate, and document these interactions often makes or breaks reviews for accreditation.   

Ultimately, investing in acknowledgment and response tracking creates trust and responsiveness where all critical test results are monitored.  

5. Integration with your existing systems is built into your radiology workflow 

Speed and accuracy are imperative in radiology. When critical test results are identified, radiologists must respond immediately and not waste valuable time toggling between disconnected systems. 

The more steps it takes to alert a provider or confirm acknowledgment, the higher the risks of delays and errors. Integration helps facilitate effective communication to deliver critical results. 

The ideal communication workflow should: 

• Integrate within your PACS, RIS, or EHR platforms
• Minimize steps, logins, and clicks that impact productivity  
• Aligns with existing work processes instead of forcing new ones

At the end of the day, an optimized communication workflow enables care teams to respond faster and achieve better patient outcomes—all without adding to administrative burdens.  

6. Active visibility is embedded in your radiology workflow management 

Leadership and quality teams need immediate access to information about radiology workflows, especially when dealing with alerts for critical results. 

Dynamic visibility isn’t just a nice benefit. It’s vital for protecting patient safety, providing accountability, and driving process improvements.  

Visibility into your communication workflow of radiology test results promotes:  

• Accountability for communication, follow-up, and action between radiology and the ordering providers
• Insights for quality teams and leadership to identify communication bottlenecks and breakdowns 
• Documented trail of communication for legal and regulatory compliance  

This clarity can bring to light challenges slowing down communication, such as sifting through call logs, paper notes, and an inundation of test result emails sent to providers. It can uncover that your communication workflow and systems need change, especially if manual processes are involved.  

Having active oversight also means your healthcare organization can move beyond reactive troubleshooting to proactive radiology workflow management, supporting better patient care.   

By following this playbook, radiology departments can streamline their communication workflows for test results, enhance compliance, and most importantly, ensure that patient safety and outcomes are optimized.  

Unsure if your current communication systems and workflows are optimized? Discover smarter tools that automate alerts for critical test results and provide closed-loop communication—without disrupting your existing radiology workflow.