Assessing Imaging Metadata Quality in Radiology: Investigating Discrepancies Between PACS and RIS Data

High data reliability is one of the main requirements for clinical decision making and trustworthy research. However, in radiology, information about performed imaging procedures is often documented in Radiology Information Systems (RIS) and Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) independently, which can lead to discrepancies and uncertainty in clinical practice. In this study, we investigated the coherence and integrity of radiological data between RIS and PACS systems at a German University Hospital. Selected data items focusing on contrast agent documentation and anatomical region information were extracted from the RIS and PACS, linked at the respective study level and aggregated for comparison. Results indicated moderate coherence for contrast agent documentation with 61% of identical records and 39% showing discrepancies, primarily due to missing entries in the PACS system. For anatomical regions, the coherence varied substantially: chest studies had high agreement levels (81%), whereas abdominal (52%) and brain studies (51%) had significantly lower levels of agreement between both systems. These results highlight data inconsistencies in radiological metadata and underline the need for data quality checks and cross-system standardized documentation.