Radiology: Probing legalities of ultrasound

Medico-legal cases are on the rise in India. Although all fields of medicine attract medico-legal attention, recently, the field of diagnostic sonography has been in the public-eye. The medico-legal limelight is focussed on ultrasonography and sonologists, thanks to the recent media attention and celebrity talk show on female foeticide. Sex determination and subsequent female foeticide is an inhumane as well as illegal act. However, the issue of sex determination is only one of the many legalities associated with ultrasonography since it has vast applications in diagnostic imaging.

From soft tissue imaging to treatment of lesions, today ultrasonography is used for a variety of purposes in medicine. Thus a sonologist could face the court, not only for violating The Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC/PNDT) Act but also for a lot of reasons like missed diagnosis, invented lesions, misreported lesions, etc.

Ignorance is not bliss

India has witnessed rapid developments in healthcare practice, with newer technologies and interventions promising better outcomes for patients. Informed patients are expecting more from doctors, leading to increasing dissatisfaction on the patients' part. In these times, where medico-legal cases against doctors are witnessing a sharp rise, being abreast of the fast changing laws has become even more important. Despite this, there are many sonologists who are not acquainted with the legalities of ultrasonography. "Most sonologists are unaware of the categories of litigation arising

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