Arguably the issue in your friend’s case is providing the patient with a document that’s not designed for them. Radiology reports are written with a particular audience in mind.

They are also written with a particular medicolegal perspective, which the intended audience will appreciate.

I often give my patients copies of their results/reports, which gives me an opportunity to explain them.

If we are going to send reports to patients directly, maybe they need to be written differently? Who should pay for that different report to be written/checked?

We already have AI tools for prioritising the order some tests are processed in (e.g. which X-Rays the radiologist looks at first). But once the report is written the author has a responsibility to ensure any urgent result is escalated. As a requester (I order tests), if I result needs urgent action within days or less, I expect a phone call to myself or another doctor in the practice.