When cardiac imaging results come back normal, some patients are skeptical—but providers can help

It can be challenging to convince a patient who experiences serious symptoms and undergoes medical imaging that they do not, in fact, have heart disease. Briefly explaining their imaging results to them, however, can help them feel reassured and less uneasy, according to new research presented at EACVI – Best of Imaging 2020.

The study included 92 patients with non-cardiac chest pain. The average age was 51 years old and 68% of the patients were women.

Each patient underwent a CT exam of their coronary arteries, but the results were 100% normal. They were then randomly assigned to one of two groups—an intervention group that received a three-part explanation detailing their imaging results and a group that received “usual care.”

The intervention group received detailed information about the CT exam, including facts about how it works and how accurate it is on a consistent basis. Patients were also shown their calcium score images to provide additional context. Then, finally, each patient was told their results were normal.  

The usual care group, on the other hand, was contacted after the examination and simply told that they had normal results.

Isabel Krohn, a technologist at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, led the study. In a prepared statement, she detailed the in-depth explanation she gave to patients in the intervention group.

“I explained the information in the brochure and the image, and subtly asked questions to probe if the patient understood,” she said. “That made it possible to customize the teaching. The sessions took five to 15 minutes, depending on how much explanation each patient required. I think discussing the results with patients immediately after the test also helps them to accept the results.”

Study participants were then asked a series of questions one month after they found out their results were normal. While 67% of patients in the intervention group said they were feeling less chest pain, that number was 38% for the usual care group. Also, patients in the intervention group were more likely to trust their results.

“This type of education is likely to become more common in years to come as a way of improving health literacy,” Krohn added.

EACVI – Best of Imaging 2020 is an online event organized by the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, a division of the European Society of Cardiology. For more information on the event, click here.

Michael Walter
Michael Walter, Managing Editor

Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.

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