LCD, CRT monitors perform equally in clinical test

Active-matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors fared well in a clinical comparison with traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors, according to a presentation by researchers from the Baltimore VA Medical Center at SCAR 2002 in May.

The study examined how well radiologists could spot lung nodules using a 3-megapixel LCD and a 5-megapixel CRT. The monitors were found to be essentially equal in four measures: sensitivity, specificity, average interpretation time, and confidence in diagnosis. Four radiologists interpreted 120 chest images, half with lung nodules and half normal.

Luminescence was set at 100 foot lamberts for both types of monitor. This is higher than the recommended setting for the CRT monitor (Barco) but lower than the recommended setting for the LCD monitor (Dome) used in the study. Average interpretation time for both monitors was approximately 35 seconds, but it increased when the window/level feature was used.