The importance and future of prostate MRI report templates: improving oncological care

Benjamin Spilseth1, Francesco Giganti2,3, Silvia D Chang4

  • 1Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolos, Minnesota, USA.

PubMed

Insights

Structured reporting templates enhance clarity in radiology, particularly for prostate MRI. This approach improves cancer detection, staging, and patient management, incorporating advanced tools like AI for better outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Radiology and Medical Imaging
  • Oncology
  • Health Informatics

Background:

  • Radiologist reports are vital for post-imaging care, with evolving methods for report creation.
  • Structured reporting enhances communication and clarity across diverse imaging modalities and organ systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explain the advantages of disease-state specific reporting templates.
  • To use prostate MRI as a model system for demonstrating these benefits.
  • To identify essential reporting elements for prostate cancer detection, staging, active surveillance, and post-therapy imaging.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on structured reporting in radiology.
  • Analysis of key reporting components for prostate MRI.
  • Discussion of established reporting systems (PI-QUAL, PI-RADS, PRECISE, PI-RR, PI-FAB).
  • Examination of emerging technologies like graphical reporting and AI in radiology.

Main Results:

  • Structured reporting, especially disease-state specific templates, demonstrably improves clarity and communication.
  • Prostate MRI benefits from tailored reporting for accurate cancer detection, staging, and management.
  • Advanced reporting structures and technologies like AI offer potential for enhanced report applicability.

Conclusions:

  • Disease-state specific reporting templates, exemplified by prostate MRI, significantly enhance radiologist communication.
  • Integration of structured reporting and innovative technologies like AI is crucial for advancing diagnostic accuracy and patient care.