Integrating programmable mice to improve ergonomics and workflow in radiology residency: A quality improvement...

Radiology residents spend prolonged hours at computer workstations, often leading to ergonomic strain and workflow inefficiency. Programmable mice, commonly used in high-performance computing, may enhance ergonomics and support learning. This study evaluated their perceived impact in graduate medical education.

As part of a quality-improvement initiative at a large academic radiology residency program, 16 residents (primarily PGY-2 and PGY-3, with one PGY-4) received programmable mice. Pre- and post-intervention surveys (September 2024, April 2025) assessed usage, adaptation, ergonomics, workflow, and perceived learning support. Institutional exam-volume data were reviewed to provide contextual information on resident workload during the study period.

All residents completed both surveys (100 % follow-up). Nearly all (94 %) used the mouse daily and adapted within four weeks. Residents reported perceived improvements in ergonomics (88 %), workflow (88 %), and learning (88 %). Reported learning support significantly exceeded initial expectations (50 % vs. 88 %, p = 0.02). All participants preferred the programmable mouse over the standard model. Call-taking residents completed approximately 4.9 % more on-call exams than the prior-year cohort, indicating stable or modestly improved throughput during the intervention period.

Programmable mice were rapidly adopted and perceived to improve comfort, workflow, and learning support among radiology residents. These findings suggest that programmable mice represent a low-cost, scalable intervention to enhance ergonomics and support the educational transition in radiology training.