Diagnostic concordance between mobile interfaces and conventional workstations for emergency imaging assessment

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology Informatics
• Mobile Health Technology

Background:

• Mobile devices now possess the computational power for real-time radiology exam interpretation.
• Previous studies have not extensively compared mobile device diagnoses with conventional workstations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the concordance of diagnoses made on mobile devices versus conventional workstations.
• To assess the impact of screen size, image quality, and tool availability on mobile diagnostic accuracy.

Main Methods:

• A between-subjects study analyzed CT, MRI, and radiography datasets under real work conditions.
• Radiologists evaluated 64 studies comprising 93 main diagnoses using mobile viewers and workstations.
• Factors such as screen size, image quality, and tool availability were assessed.

Main Results:

• High concordance was observed: 87.69% complete, 7.69% almost complete, and 1.56% partial.
• Only 3.07% of studies showed discordance, primarily due to the lack of multiplanar reconstruction tools on mobile viewers.
• Screen size and image quality did not significantly impact diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Mobile interfaces offer accurate interpretation for emergency imaging modalities.
• Mobile devices can facilitate swift responses, potentially enhancing patient healthcare outcomes.
• The availability of specific tools, like multiplanar reconstruction, is crucial for optimal mobile diagnostic performance.