Pitfalls in photographing radiological images from computer screens

I agree with Seah and colleagues that the use of mobile phones to transmit and display medical images introduces a new array of potential artefacts that may lead to diagnostic error.1

The interpretation of medical images is challenging and often nuanced, and this recognition led to the establishment of radiology as a medical specialty many decades ago. While their suggestions to minimise errors are useful, the authors failed to mention two effective strategies for clinicians: to read the radiologist’s report and, if that is unavailable, to contact a radiologist for an opinion. Substantial diagnostic information is lost when capturing an image on a mobile phone and it relies on the person taking the photo to have correctly localised the relevant pathology. Surely we cannot condone such error-prone methods when highly trained imaging specialists are available. The best advice is to use phones as phones and, when in doubt, call on the skills and training of the relevant specialist. I am sure our insurers and patients would agree.