Dear Imaging Informatics Insider,
Clinical decision-support (CDS) software can do a great job of improving the appropriate utilization of imaging studies. A recent study found that CDS software deemed just 3% of outpatient imaging orders to be low-yield at the time of order.
However, the researchers also found that nearly two-thirds of those studies with a low clinical appropriateness score were still performed, with the most common indication being a request from a physician specialist based on his or her opinion that the exam was medically necessary. As a result, the use of CDS with radiology order-entry systems needs to accommodate the small number of cases where physician insight or other clinical information may otherwise justify an exam, according to the group. Get all of the details in this newsletter's Insider Exclusive.
Multimedia radiology reports can make it easier for radiologists and oncologists to stay on the same page in selecting and measuring target lesions, improving the process for monitoring how tumors are responding to treatment, according to a team from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. Click here for our coverage of their work.
Artificial intelligence technology isn't likely to replace radiologists anytime soon. But new software applications based on machine learning are poised to take on many of their tedious, repetitive, and time-consuming tasks, according to Simon Harris of market research firm Signify Research. Find out how radiologists will be able to improve their productivity and have more time to focus on value-added activities by reading his new column.
With help from machine learning, a natural language processing algorithm can automatically extract and characterize findings in radiology reports, according to a multi-institutional team led by Saeed Hassanpour, PhD, of Dartmouth College. The researchers believe the software has the potential to help clinicians better understand and quickly ascertain important results. Click here for the details.
Enterprise imaging isn't just for large hospitals; medium-sized or small hospitals also have plenty to gain if they can clear some big hurdles on their path. In a contribution for AuntMinnie.com, Dan Trott from Dell EMC shares three steps that smaller hospitals can take to accelerate the adoption of enterprise imaging.
Mobile devices have been mostly viewed in radiology as tools for providing on-the-go access to images and other healthcare information. But it's also important to account for their use in capturing photos of patients at the point of care, according to a recent webinar sponsored by the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine. Click here to learn more.
Unprotected DICOM servers still remain a security risk worldwide, according to recent research from Massachusetts General Hospital. As of late 2016, nearly 2,800 DICOM servers worldwide were unprotected, and more than 800 of these were fully open to communication with outside computers. Which countries had the highest number of unprotected DICOM servers? Click here to find out.
Is there a story you'd like to see covered in the Imaging Informatics Community? As always, please feel free to drop me a line.
