READS: a radiology-oriented electronic analysis and display station

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging Informatics
• Radiology Information Systems
• Software Engineering in Healthcare

Background:

• Efficient image review is critical for radiologists in Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS).
• Existing systems may present limitations in cost-effectiveness and adaptability for new functionalities.
• Optimizing the radiologist's workflow requires tailored software solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement an optimized PACS display program (READS) for efficient radiologist image review.
• To identify functional patterns in the image review process to inform software design.
• To create a low-cost review station with the flexibility for easy addition of new functionalities.

Main Methods:

• Observation of the radiologist's image review process to identify functional patterns.
• Definition of design specifications based on observed patterns and a balance of compromises.
• Implementation of the READS program based on the defined design.

Main Results:

• A novel PACS display program, READS, was successfully designed and implemented.
• The program was found to be acceptable for standard radiological image review tasks.
• The system also demonstrated suitability for the development of special image processing functions.

Conclusions:

• The READS program offers an acceptable and cost-effective solution for radiologist image review.
• The design facilitates efficient workflow and supports the integration of advanced image processing capabilities.
• This approach provides a balanced compromise for a functional and adaptable low-cost review station.