Although the consequences of medical malpractice are often clear, devastating and sometimes irreparable, malpractice is not always the result of a mistake a doctor or hospital makes during treatment of disease or disorder. Sometimes, the problem lies in the communication of information, or failure to communicate.

A recent study published in JACR – Journal of the American College of Radiology – concluded that the risk of a malpractice lawsuit can increase when the notification of diagnostic test results breaks down between a referring doctor and a treating doctor.

Let’s say a primary care doctor refers a patient to a surgeon. Standard medical practice is for the surgeon, or treating physician, to ensure that the primary care doc is given the results of examinations and/or diagnostic tests if they yield an urgent or unexpected finding. And, commonly, even if they don’t. After all, a primary care doctor knows the patient best, and is considered the “gatekeeper” of a patient’s overall health care profile and treatment.