When it comes to medical imaging, high quality results are essential to providing accurate diagnoses for patients. Mediocre resolutions and standard displays might not cut it in the radiology department, making it difficult for physicians to recommend the optimal treatments for injuries or illnesses.
According to a study conducted by health care research agency The MarkeTech Group, radiologists face three big challenges today: increasing image volumes, growing complexity of studies and physical discomfort while performing evaluations. The 223 respondents, ranging from a host of countries including the U.S., France and Germany, indicated that solutions, such as improved image quality (91 percent) and better display ergonomics (70 percent) would ease their difficulties.
Today, 85 percent of the participating radiologists use three displays or more in their practices when conducting interpretations, which causes increased head and neck movements, leading to substantial discomfort at their PACS workstations. Another 80 percent believe in the efficacy of higher spatial resolution on their monitors.
It is clear that radiologists want advanced imaging displays in their facilities, and these products can play an integral role in improving the capabilities of diagnostic radiology.
Aiding early lung cancer detection
A recent retrospective study, conducted by Dong Ming Xu, M.D., and colleagues from the radiology department at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, indicated that advanced imaging displays can have a significant impact on early detection of cancer. The researchers examined CT lung screenings to understand how malignant nodules could be missed by initial reviews, HealthImaging reported.
Xu and her team investigated images that were used for diagnoses as part of the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program to determine if malignancies found on annual repeat screenings could be spotted on a previous exam. Their results showed that, of the 104 patients in the study, 80 could have had their cancers detected in earlier tests. Some of the nodules were larger than 3 millimeters, which were similar in size to adjacent blood vessels. Had these practices been using higher quality displays with improved spatial resolutions, the cancer might have been identified prior to follow-ups.
"This finding suggests that use of computer-assisted diagnosis, which is particularly useful for separating nodules from blood vessels, would have led to even earlier diagnosis," wrote the authors, quoted by HealthImaging. "Perhaps in the future, such visualization techniques will become an integral part of the reading process."
The Mount Sinai researchers pointed out that roughly one-third of the patients had their diseases progress beyond stage I by their next exam.
Medical imaging is in a position to vastly improve with technological innovations, like PACS integrated with electronic health records and high-definition image displays. The use of improved screens in conjunction with computer-assisted diagnoses could help doctors catch malignant growths early and make better decisions about treatment strategies. When a patient's life depends on speedy exams and informed clinical choices, top-of-the-line products can make the difference for radiologists.
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Ronny Bachrach
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