DEXA Result Automation into Radiology Reports: An Implementation Guide for Radiologists, PACS Administrators, and...

Osteoporosis is prevalent among older adults, significantly increasing fracture risk, with hip fractures often leading to reduced survival. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is the gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis. However, manual transcription of DEXA results into radiology reports is error-prone and time-consuming. This study explores the implementation of a vendor-neutral structured report (SR) system to automate data import from DEXA scans, aiming to improve efficiency and accuracy. The study involved the use of Nuance PowerScribe 360 and Hyland's PACSgear ModLink for automating DEXA data entry into radiology reports. ModLink translates DEXA results into structured data, which is mapped to customized report templates. Radiologists compared the templates with and without the SR data being sent, analyzing time differences between the two templates using pre- and post-implementation measurements. The implementation of the SR system led to a significant reduction in report generation time, with radiologists achieving up to a fivefold decrease in dictation time. The slowest reader saw a 2.5-fold improvement, and the fastest reader showed a fivefold improvement (p < 0.01). No errors in data mapping were observed, indicating reliable integration of the SR system. In light of the current radiologist shortage, the SR system demonstrated notable improvements in workflow efficiency without adding to technologist workload. The time savings and reduced transcription errors offer radiology practices a valuable tool to enhance productivity and patient care. Automating the DEXA data transcription process using a structured report system substantially improves efficiency, minimizes errors, and has minimal implementation burden, representing a promising intervention for radiology practices facing increasing demand.