From the November 2021 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
By Amy Thompson
Reporting in imaging IT has evolved over the last 5 years and has the potential, with innovative technology such as AI, to fundamentally change how radiologists work and how products are designed. Following a challenging period during the COVID-19 pandemic, focus is increasing on reading efficiency and service-line cost for radiology services, making reporting competency a potential differentiator in purchasing decisions. Furthermore, with new focus in the market on companion diagnostics, the use of imaging data in the pre-clinical and research arena, and data federation, structured reporting creates new opportunities for vendors in this sector.
There are different levels of reporting in use today. Fig.1 outlines the distinction between reporting competencies. Throughout this article, when referring to structured reporting, I will be referencing level 2, with the express focus on IT-based tools that go beyond basic templates.
Structured reporting is used across the hospital in departments such as neurology, oncology, and invasive cardiology already. Radiology adoption past level 1, “structured layout”, has been minimal; free-form text reports are still most common today; therefore, creating a structured report is a substantial change.
There are providers in the U.S., such as academic hospitals, who are proactively adopting structured reporting (level 2) solutions and looking to optimise the data output available. Yet for most of the market, adoption so far as been nascent.
Why is structured reporting important?
The utilisation of structured reporting provides both departmental and enterprise benefits, which supports physician collaboration and improved quality of care provision.
Traditional free-form reports in radiology produce a unique and individualised approach to reporting, which while endearing, can create ambiguity and inconsistency in both the information collated in the report and the terminology used to describe the findings.
Structured reporting provides the means to ensure that all appropriate information needed to inform decisions on care delivery and procedures is included. Along with standardised terminology, referring physicians and other clinicians are better supported to understand findings and conclude care decisions. With greater multidisciplinary collaboration also important in this new era of outcome-based care, supporting new care teams (such as Tumour Boards) and diverse users within integrated care pathways is now critical. The availability of standardised reports across the imaging ecosystem can improve the output of these collaborative meetings and support better patient care and diagnosis.
