Automated Breast Ultrasound Interpretation Times: A Reader Performance Study.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Breast Imaging

Background:

• Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) is an emerging tool for breast cancer screening.
• Assessing the time efficiency of ABUS interpretation is crucial for clinical adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the average interpretation time for Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) examinations by breast radiologists with varying experience levels.
• To evaluate the impact of experience on ABUS interpretation efficiency.

Main Methods:

• A reader performance study involving 99 female patients with BI-RADS 4 density C or D.
• Three faculty breast radiologists (advanced, intermediate, novice) interpreted ABUS examinations.
• Interpretation times and final impressions were recorded.

Main Results:

• All readers had an average ABUS interpretation time under 3 minutes.
• The intermediate reader had a significantly longer mean interpretation time (2.6 minutes).
• The novice reader showed a significant decrease in interpretation time with increasing experience.

Conclusions:

• Radiologists interpret ABUS examinations efficiently, with average times under 3 minutes.
• The learning curve for ABUS interpretation is manageable, with efficiency gains observed in novice readers.
• These findings support the integration of ABUS into busy clinical workflows.