Do Patients’ Photos Help Doctors?

December 2, 2008

The eyes of modern radiology are so trained on high-tech images of arteries, organs and bones that actual patients can become abstract concepts, rarely encountered in the flesh. But a study out of Israel found that including photographs of patients in their files enhanced radiologists’ performance. “We recommend adding patient photographs as a routine protocol to the digital file of all radiographic examinations,” the study concludes. (Wall Street Journal)