Clinical narrative and clinical organisation: Properties of radiology reports

Abstract

Radiology reports, as a form of clinical narrative, are more than a repository of patient information but are active in patient care. They are not unique and individual to each patient but have structured content suitable for supporting the activities of care. We consider these activities of care and how they manifest in the report. This recognition of the infusion of clinical organisation in clinical narrative leads to the recognition of seven properties of radiology reports: labels, concepts, genre, structure, author, subject, reader. These properties exist across two relationships: the intertextual relationship between radiology reports and the interpersonal relationship between a radiology report and people. © 2001 IMIA. All right reserved.