Referring Medical Practitioners Experiences with Medical Imaging Services: Literature Review Findings and Their Application to Zambian Healthcare System

Abstract

Background: Medical imaging examinations are essential in confirming, assessing and documenting the course of many diseases and response to treatment. It is estimated that half of the decisions made by medical practitioners are based on imaging examinations. As internal service users, the experience of referring medical practitioners to medical imaging services can significantly impact patient safety and care. Patients will not be referred to this service if a referring medical practitioner does not find the service of good quality. There is no published review on this topic to consolidate the findings from previous studies and provide a basis for developing strategies to enhance the delivery of imaging services. 

Aim of the study: To review the literature on the experiences of referring medical practitioners with medical imaging services and apply the findings to the Zambian healthcare system.

 Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted from July to December 2024. The literature search was conducted via five databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, as well as other sources. Research studies published in English from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2024 were deemed eligible for inclusion. Data was extracted and re-analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: Six research studies met the inclusion criteria for this literature review. Following data analysis, four themes were identified: medical imaging equipment and radiographic image quality, the shortage of imaging professionals, working relationships between referring medical practitioners and imaging professionals, and medical practitioners' interpretation of general radiographic images. The results show that medical practitioners in developing countries experienced more challenges than those in developed countries.

Conclusion: The review findings highlight significant challenges experienced by medical practitioners with medical imaging services. The main challenge that significantly affected the satisfaction of referring medical practitioners in developing countries was the lack of diagnostic imaging reports due to a shortage of radiologists. To fill this gap, it is recommended that the role of a radiographer be extended to include reporting on general radiographic images.