Circumventing the challenges of inappropriately filled radiological requests in sub-saharan Africa: experiences from an infectious disease hospital

Abstract

Radiological requests are vital communicative tools by Physicians to Radiologists. Improperly
filled radiological requests are frequently encountered in our practices as radiologists; a trend
which can negatively impact patient care. A properly filled request will prevent unwarranted
radiation exposures and improve service delivery by Radiology departments. This article amply
expresses our practice experiences (not unique to our centre alone) as they relate to poorly filled
radiological investigation requests and the practical approach we have developed and adopted
over time which has been quite helpful in addressing this age-long problem.