The rules of actionable reporting
- 1Radiology Department, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, United Kingdom
Abstract
Actionable reporting in radiology is a concept that has gained traction since its inception in 2014. The notion is simple: radiology reports should easily translate into clinical action, particularly when the study is abnormal. This is not so simple. But the process of producing an actionable report is as crucial as the report itself. The process should result in a radiology report that consistently results in information being provided to the referrer that results in improved patient care. This review article presents an evidence-based critique of the concept, demonstrates the numerous pitfalls, illustrates points of gold-standard practice (illustrated as ‘Rules’) and presents a coherent model of the overall process of actionable reporting, which flanks the crucial central element of an actionable report.
Key Points: Question The actionable reporting process is highly dependent on cooperation and coordination of many healthcare staff, IT systems, and different departments, with the radiologist at the heart of it; it should be seen as a multistep process where each step is crucial and interdependent with the overall goal of better patient outcomes via better systems of work.
Findings The skilful production of an actionable report is central to this process and remains the responsibility of the individual radiologist.
Critical relevance statement Fundamentally, actionable reporting represents the current best practice in radiology reporting. It should be the goal of every radiologist to ensure their reports are actionable and their reporting workflow matches that of actionable reporting.
Graphical Abstract:
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BibTeX
@article{mccoubrie2026rules,
title = {{The rules of actionable reporting}},
author = {Paul McCoubrie},
journal = {Insights into Imaging},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1186/s13244-026-02429-8},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13244-026-02429-8},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The rules of actionable reporting
AU - Paul McCoubrie
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
JO - Insights into Imaging
DO - 10.1186/s13244-026-02429-8
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13244-026-02429-8
AB - Actionable reporting in radiology is a concept that has gained traction since its inception in 2014. The notion is simple: radiology reports should easily translate into clinical action, particularly when the study is abnormal. This is not so simple. But the process of producing an actionable report is as crucial as the report itself. The process should result in a radiology report that consistently results in information being provided to the referrer that results in improved patient care. This review article presents an evidence-based critique of the concept, demonstrates the numerous pitfalls, illustrates points of gold-standard practice (illustrated as ‘Rules’) and presents a coherent model of the overall process of actionable reporting, which flanks the crucial central element of an actionable report. Key Points: Question The actionable reporting process is highly dependent on cooperation and coordination of many healthcare staff, IT systems, and different departments, with the radiologist at the heart of it; it should be seen as a multistep process where each step is crucial and interdependent with the overall goal of better patient outcomes via better systems of work. Findings The skilful production of an actionable report is central to this process and remains the responsibility of the individual radiologist. Critical relevance statement Fundamentally, actionable reporting represents the current best practice in radiology reporting. It should be the goal of every radiologist to ensure their reports are actionable and their reporting workflow matches that of actionable reporting. Graphical Abstract:
SN - 1869-4101
ER -