The interventional radiology clinic

Establish what the patient expects

You should ask the patient what they understand about why they have been referred to you and perform a quick reality check that this corresponds with why you think you are seeing them. If there is a mismatch, then the first priority should be to try to rectify this.

Confirm the diagnosis

This requires you to have reviewed all of the information provided, including the referral document, patient records and also the imaging. Try to look at the imaging yourself rather than just relying on the reports.

In many instances, the diagnosis will be certain and it will be evident how this relates to the patient's symptoms. However, this is not always true, sometimes information from the referring team will be unclear or perhaps even incorrect. If there is doubt then obtain further history and perform clinical or perhaps even ultrasound examination as part of the clinic assessment. When there is uncertainty you will need to communicate this to the patient.

Tip

A useful strategy is to spend a few minutes reviewing the clinical request, the patient record and relevant imaging before bringing the patient into the clinic. This way, there will be fewer surprises during the consultation.

Confirm symptomatology

Remember that symptoms may have changed in the interval between referral and the patient seeing you, e.g. claudication may have resolved following successful exercise therapy. Always make sure you verify the current symptomatology and any impact on the patient's life and work.