| Summary: | A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree of Master of Medicine in Diagnostic Radiology
Johannesburg, 2014. === INTRODUCTION:
Litigation may involve radiology personnel radiological reports
and imaging studies as evidence and therefore influences clinical practice.
Litigation is implicated in defensive radiology practices. There are no publications
addressing litigation and radiology specifically for South Africa.
AIM:
To determine the number of legal cases involving radiological personnel and
radiological investigations in South Africa and frequency of citing of these within
the law reports.
METHOD:
The search engine attached to The Southern African Legal Information
Institute (SAFLII) website was searched systematically for the period 2001 to 2010
with keywords relating to radiologists, radiographers and equipment / imaging
modalities using a frequency ‘citation’ score.
RESULTS:
114 legal cases involving radiological personnel and radiological
investigations in South Africa were identified (0.5% of all cases reported). Few
radiologists have been sued in medicolegal lawsuits, but nearly a quarter of all
radiology medicolegal reports, involved radiologists providing expert opinion and
reports.
In addition to being the commonest imaging investigation to feature in medicolegal
reports (in over two thirds), plain X-rays also had the highest citation scores.
CONCLUSIONS:
Very few radiologists have been the accused in medicolegal
suits, yet radiologists were involved in nearly a quarter of reports, predominantly
providing expert opinion and reports.
Plain X-rays were the commonest imaging investigation to feature but CT
scanning featured in 20% of reports. This is of particular concern because this is
considered an advanced technology, not widely available in South Africa.
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