Efficient whole-body MRI interpretation: evaluation of a dedicated software prototype

The study investigates the performance of a dedicated whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) interpretation software with regard to diagnostic efficiency using quantitative and qualitative parameters. Forty-eight oncologic patients underwent whole-body computed tomography (WB-CT) and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI). In a quantitative analysis, the times needed for interpretation of the CT and MRI datasets were measured. The MRI studies were read using a standard workstation and the whole-body MRI interpretation software, respectively. In the qualitative analysis, the numbers of metastases were separately recorded for 13 organ systems, again interpreting the MRI images on the standard workstation and with the dedicated software. Moreover, user friendliness and system usability were evaluated using a standardized questionnaire. Use of the whole-body MRI interpretation software significantly reduced the MRI interpretation time compared with the standard workstation. There was no significant difference between interpretation time of WB-CT and interpretation time of WB-MRI using the dedicated software. Comparison with WB-CT as the reference method demonstrated no significant difference between the whole-body MRI interpretation software prototype and the standard interpretation software in the number of metastases detected. In conclusion, the use of the dedicated whole-body reading software improves the interpretation process of WB-MRI studies with respect to time efficiency and system usability.