Recommend Clinical Correlation: A Common but Meaningless Phrase in Radiology Reporting

This excerpt from the impression of a radiology report is a prime example of meaningless jargon that has insinuated itself into the radiology lexicon. In this case it is especially egregious, as there would be no clinical finding for the referring clinician to correlate. Few phrases in radiology are as meaningless and potentially infuriating to referring clinicians as “recommend clinical correlation,” “clinical correlation is advised,” “correlate clinically,” or similar derivations. Referring clinicians may interpret such phrases to mean that the radiologists believe they have not done their jobs. Even worse, the radiologists are now instructing them to do so in the official medical record. The phrase does not add information to the report, positively affect patient care, or absolve the radiologist of legal liability [1]. Radiologists should omit the nebulous “recommend clinical correlation” from their reports and provide specific diagnoses and recommendations. In cases of diagnostic uncertainty, radiologists should provide differential diagnoses. When clinical information is available, radiologists should incorporate that information in their estimations of the likelihood of each of the various diagnostic possibilities. Finally, radiologists should be aware that patients may have access to their reports and can be misled or made anxious by what they read. Using phrases such as “recommend clinical correlation” diminishes the usefulness of the radiology report, has the potential to disrupt relationships with referring clinicians, and confuses patients.