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Published on: December 15, 2014
Changes in Reader Performance During Sequential Reading of Breast Cancer Screening Digital Breast Tomosynthesis
Craig K Abbey1, Andriy I Bandos1, Mohana K Parthasarathy1
1From the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif (C.K.A.); Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa (A.I.B.); Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Magee-Womens Hospital, 300 Halket St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (A.I.B., M.L.Z.); and Department of Psychology, University of Nevada-Reno, Reno, Nev (M.K.P., M.A.W.).
Radiologists reading screening mammograms in batches showed improved accuracy and faster interpretation times. This perceptual adaptation enhances performance in digital breast tomosynthesis screening without compromising cancer detection sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Radiology and Medical Imaging
- Breast Cancer Screening
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Studies suggest perceptual adaptation occurs during batched mammogram interpretation, potentially improving reader performance.
- Understanding reader performance changes in sequential batch reading is crucial for optimizing screening protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze clinical digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) screening data to evaluate changes in reader performance during sequential batch reading.
- To assess the impact of batch reading on false-positive rates, sensitivity, and interpretation time.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 121,652 screening DBT examinations from January 2018 to December 2019.
- Examinations were batched, defined as sequential cases for a reader with short inter-examination times.
- Mixed-effect models analyzed performance and timing across batch positions, adjusting for confounders.
Main Results:
- Unadjusted false-positive rates decreased significantly from 15.5% to 10.5% after three sequential examinations (P < .001), with no significant change in sensitivity (82.6% to 84.2%; P = .15).
- Interpretation time consistently decreased, with an average reduction from 2.8 to 2.2 minutes for non-cancer examinations (P < .001).
- Adjusted analysis confirmed reduced false-positive rates (11.5% to 9.4%) and interpretation times (3.2 to 2.7 minutes).
Conclusions:
- Radiologists demonstrated improved recall rates and reduced interpretation times during sequential batch reading of DBT screening examinations.
- The study indicates perceptual adaptation enhances efficiency without negatively impacting diagnostic sensitivity in DBT screening.
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