Voice recognition boosts PACS physician acceptance

Even partial use of voice recognition (VR) systems significantly reduces report turnaround time, enhancing the appeal of PACS to referring physicians, according to a study presented at the recent meeting of the Society for Computer Applications in Radiology.

"Twice as many clinicians now view images with reports as did prior to installation of VR," said Dr. J. Raymond Geis, a radiologist at Fort Collins Radiologic Associates in Colorado.

Geis studied how physician acceptance and use of PACS changed with the addition of partial VR for report generation, and with the use of a standardized report form for abdominal/pelvic CT.

"The goal for report turnaround time should be less than six hours, which is the time period in which more than 66% of radiology studies are viewed by clinicians," Geis said.

The study also reported that the majority of clinicians prefer a structured report style. Clinicians found such reports to be easier to read, with relevant information easier to pick out.

A structured, macro-driven report style may be the most efficient approach with VR, but that is not yet proven, Geis said. The primary concern about standardized reports was the fear that the radiologist might omit important information that didn't fit into the "cookie-cutter" format.

Despite the decrease in report turnaround time, Geis found that only half of clinicians always viewed studies with interpretations. Generally, report turnaround time was still too slow to keep pace with image availability and clinician demands.