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Should Patients Get Their Reports? | Prostate AI
August 19, 2024
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Together with
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“The development and commercialisation of medical decision systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) far outpaces our understanding of their value for clinicians.”
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Tikhomirov L et al, in a paper on how radiologists and AI algorithms process information differently.
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Looking for interviews with leading medical imaging executives and radiologist thought leaders? Look no further than the new Imaging Wire Show Podcast on Spotify! We’ve taken our Imaging Wire Show interviews and ported them to the Spotify platform to make them easier than ever to listen to at work or at play. Give them a listen today!
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It’s one of radiology’s great dilemmas – should patients get their own radiology reports? A new review article in JACR examines this question in more detail, documenting shifting attitudes toward data sharing among radiologists, referring physicians, and patients themselves.
In reality, the question of whether patients should get their own reports has been settled by the 2022 implementation of federal information blocking rules that prevent providers from withholding patient data.
- But open questions remain, such as the best mechanisms for delivering data to patients and how to ensure they aren’t confused or alarmed by radiology findings.
To that end, researchers conducted a systematic review of studies from 2007 to 2023 on patient access to radiology reports, eventually identifying 33 publications that revealed …
- 70% of studies found patients expressing positive preference toward accessing their radiology reports, a trend consistent over the entire study period.
- 42% of studies documented patient difficulties in understanding medical terminology.
- 33% highlighted concerns about patient anxiety and emotional impact.
- Physician opinions on report sharing shifted from 2010 to 2022, from initial dissatisfaction to a gradual appreciation of its benefits.
- Most studies focused on patient opinions rather than those of referring physicians and radiologists, whose opinions were found in only 18% and 9% of studies, respectively.
A major problem identified by the researchers is that radiology reports have medical terminology that isn’t easily understood by patients – this can lead to confusion and anxiety.
- Communicating findings in plain language could be one solution, but the researchers said little progress has been made due to “resistance from radiologists and entrenched reporting practices.”
Although it wasn’t mentioned by the study authors, generative AI offers one possible solution by using natural language processing algorithms to create patient-friendly versions of clinical reports.
The Takeaway
Once patients get access to their own reports, it’s impossible to put that genie back in the bottle. Rather than debating whether patients should get radiology reports, the question now should be how radiologists can ensure their reports will be understood without confusion by their ultimate customer – patients.
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Fully Automated AI Echo vs. 3D and Human Readers
While 3D echo is becoming more accurate, 2D still dominates clinical care. A new study evaluates agreement in measures of LV volume and function between human readers, echo AI from Us2.ai, and the 3D Heart Model.
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AI and Cancer Screening
Cancer screening saves lives, but right now screening is limited to a few cancer types. That could change with AI, which opens new possibilities for earlier disease detection. Learn more in this article by DeepHealth clinical AI leader Greg Sorensen, MD.
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- How Do Patients Feel about Prostate AI? While we’re on the subject of patient opinions, how do they feel about AI analysis of prostate MRI scans, which is touted as a tool to catch cancer earlier and perhaps make prostate cancer screening more viable? In a study in European Radiology, researchers surveyed 212 patients suspected to have prostate lesions; 79% supported AI aiding radiologists, while 91% were in favor of making AI’s analysis subject to radiologist oversight. Only 15% supported AI working without radiologist input.
- Do Radiologists and AI Think Differently? Radiologists and AI algorithms make decisions in fundamentally different ways, and this will create challenges when integrating AI into healthcare. That’s according to a new opinion article in The Lancet Digital Health that explores the human-machine relationship from the perspective of cognitive science. The article pops the bubble suggesting that radiologists and AI will work together in synergistic ways, instead noting that the mismatch is worth investigating further to ensure the safe development and implementation of medical AI.
- ASRT Touts OMB Comments: The ASRT is hailing an outpouring of comments submitted to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget asking the agency to classify radiologic technologists as healthcare professionals in its update of the Standard Occupational Classification manual. ASRT said the OMB received 42k comments on the proposal, which the group believes would confer benefits to RTs such as a higher level of professional recognition and a more universally recognized credential. OMB updates the manual every 10 years.
- Better Radiology Leadership: Radiology’s persistent workforce shortage has practice leaders focusing on better ways to recruit and retain personnel. Better and more inclusive leadership could be one solution, and a review article in RadioGraphics offers guidance on creating more diverse and inclusive radiology organizations. The article examines the pros and cons of different leadership styles and identifies six traits of inclusive leaders, their impact on organizations, and their relevance to radiology. It’s well worth a read in today’s environment of recruiting challenges and physician burnout.
- Outpatient Healthcare Savings: Shifting healthcare services like medical imaging from the hospital to the outpatient setting could save up to $148B annually in the U.S. In a study in JAMA Network Open, researchers asked 1.1k clinicians which Medicare services they thought could be shifted out of the hospital without compromising clinical outcomes; they then calculated the amount saved due to lower costs in the outpatient setting. The shift would save $114B to $148B, or 3.2% to 4.1% of annual U.S. healthcare expenditures.
- Hexarad Raises £13M: U.K.-based teleradiology and radiology software developer Hexarad has raised £13M ($16.8M) in a new funding round. The company provides teleradiology services and software in the U.K., Ireland, and Saudi Arabia, and its software offerings include RIS, integration applications, and reporting. Hexarad positions its offerings as a solution to the U.K.’s persistent workforce shortage and patient waiting times. The company in 2022 completed a Series A round.
- Portable MRI Firm Lands Investor: Another company that successfully raised funds this month is neuro42, which is developing portable low-field MRI scanners for neuroimaging and interventional use. The firm secured an investment from Zynext Ventures, the investment arm of Zydus Lifesciences (the value of the investment was not disclosed). neuro42 will put the funds to use commercializing its neuro42 scanner, a portable low-field bedside system that received FDA clearance earlier this year.
- MRI Shows mTBI’s Long-Term Impact: MRI scans reveal that even mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can create detectable brain changes that could have long-term clinical consequences. Researchers in a study in JAMA Network Open scanned 617 healthy adults ages 40-59 with 3T MRI, finding that those with a past history of mTBI also had a higher number of cerebral microbleeds and microbleed events like poorer sleep and depression. This is the latest study to show MRI’s value in detecting mTBI that might otherwise remain hidden.
- Instagram for Medical Education: Social media sites like Instagram are increasingly being used for medical education. But what tools work best? That question is explored in a study in Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology in which the operators of the CTisus radiology education site found that static images got 57% more engagement on Instagram than videos on the app’s Reels feature (18.7k vs. 12k impressions). CTisus’ “You Make the Call!” feature was most popular, leading researchers to suggest radiology educators use static images with quiz-like questions.
- Alliance Unites SPECT with AI: Nuclear medicine vendor Spectrum Dynamics has signed an alliance with Israeli AI developer DeepDense Medical to integrate that company’s AI solutions for cardiac and spine disease into Spectrum’s SPECT scanners. DeepDense AI will enable Spectrum Dynamics customers to perform automatic quantitative analysis while also improving image quality and reducing scan times. Spectrum Dynamics most recently partnered with Hermes Medical Solutions for quantitative analysis and image processing and review software.
- Body Scanner Reveals Metabolic Syndrome: It’s not exactly radiology, but it’s still pretty cool. In a study in European Heart Journal – Digital Health, Mayo Clinic researchers used Select Research’s white-light 3D-BV body scanner – normally used for fitting clothes – to scan 1.3k people to calculate factors indicating metabolic syndrome, finding it was more accurate than traditional metrics like BMI and waist-to-hip ratio. 3D-BV scans could someday be a gateway to traditional medical imaging, and the images alone are definitely worth checking out.
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Preparing for the Future of Enterprise Imaging
Unlock medical imaging’s potential with the power of cloud technology. Click here to discover how Optum’s solutions can streamline your operations, enhance data security, and improve patient outcomes. Embrace medical imaging’s future and see the difference the cloud can make.
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Presenting Unboxing AI
Check out CARPL’s video series, Unboxing AI, featuring experts discussing AI and its future in radiology. The next episode on August 23 features R. Kent Hutson, MD, of Radiology Partners – reserve your seat today.
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- Integrating AI into Clinical Practice: AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, but it requires a collaborative effort between clinicians and AI experts. In this micro-learning course from Calantic by Bayer, learn about the latest developments in healthcare AI.
- Start at the Source to Improve MRI: Looking for ways to improve MRI speed and image quality while addressing broader concerns in healthcare? The answer may lie in proven MRI physics in your existing scanner – learn how to unlock it with STAGE from SpinTech MRI.
- Learn the Basics of CT Colonography: Medicare will soon be paying for CT colonography exams for colon cancer screening. Get up to speed today with Medality’s comprehensive CT colonography course, led by experts Judy Yee, MD, Kevin Chang, MD.
- Unify Imaging Workflow: Radiology group Qscan faced a fragmented ecosystem after its rapid acquisition of eight companies, each with their own reporting systems and toolsets. Learn how InteleOrchestrator from Intelerad helps Qscan unify their imaging workflow.
- Seamless Integration and Efficient Reading: TeraRecon’s latest Intuition advanced visualization solution now features seamless integration with Mirada Medical’s Mirada XD, providing efficient diagnostic reading with automatic multi-modality and multi-time point registration capabilities. Schedule a demo to learn more.
- Calling on All Partners – Merge Wants to Work with You: Merge continues its legacy of building strategic partnerships as part of Merative. Investing purposefully, Merge is building business relationships that meet healthcare client needs to improve patient care. Contact the company today.
- An Integrated Approach to Radiology AI: AI automates what radiologists can’t stand, surfaces what radiologists can’t see, and identifies what radiologists can’t miss. But only if it’s implemented in the way radiologists work. See how Nuance helps radiologists achieve these results through a single, streamlined, end-to-end AI experience.
- Women’s Health and AI: With new breast density reporting requirements coming in the US, there’s a need for objective density assessment and reporting. Check out this article from Blackford Analysis on the AI solutions that can help.
- Revolutionizing Radiology with Clear Visual Intelligence: The University of New Mexico Hospital is partnering with Riverain Technologies to revolutionize radiology with the use of ClearRead CT with Clear Visual Intelligence for chest CT scans. Get details about the partnership on this page.
- Data Standardization and Patient Care: Standardization of patient data is a crucial aspect of healthcare. It helps make practices more efficient, but it also benefits patients by improving outcomes and patient satisfaction. Learn how data standardization can help improve your practice in this article from Enlitic.
- Build Patient Engagement into Your Enterprise Image Exchange: 87% of healthcare imaging leaders identify rising operating costs as a major challenge. This white paper from PocketHealth outlines opportunities to generate cost savings, retain patients, and increase referral volumes. Learn more here.
- AI for Detecting Post-Traumatic Bone Fractures: Check out this new research paper to learn how Gleamer’s BoneView AI solution enhanced radiologists’ ability to detect post-traumatic bone fractures by identifying cases without abnormalities, translating into improved patient care.
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