Hospital Practices and Research

Abstract Background: Recent advancements in medical technology have significantly influenced social life through the advancement of scientific research.
Objectives: This study examined the Generic Structure Potential (GSP) of medical diagnostic reports in Iran, specifically focusing on Radiology Case Reports (RCRs), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) reports, and Computed Tomography-Scan (CT-scan) reports.
Methods: This descriptive corpus-based study analyzed a corpus of 300 diagnostic medical reports collected from Tabriz Medical Science University over a three-month period during the autumn of 2024. The research employed Hasan's (1989) Generic Structure Potential (GSP) model, integrated with Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) framework, to investigate both the macro-structural elements (obligatory, optional, and recursive) and the micro-structural features (field, tenor, and mode) of these reports.
Results: The analysis revealed that the obligatory elements dominated medical diagnostic imaging reports (94.3%), with "Findings" being the most frequent (59.1%), underscoring their central diagnostic role. Normal structures appeared less frequent (23.4%), highlighting the emphasis on pathological findings over normal observations. Optional elements (5.7%) like impressions and recommendations were rare, while recursive elements were entirely absent. The study found no significant presence of recursive elements, indicating a preference for a clear and concise reporting style.
Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest that this structured approach enhances the utility of diagnostic medical reports in supporting accurate diagnosis and patient care within the Iranian healthcare context. These findings have significant implications for researchers, emphasizing the crucial role of understanding and embracing the generic structure of medical reports as a fundamental aspect of scholarly writing within their respective domains.