Automated radiology workstation: comparing two approaches for selecting radiodiagnostic solutions (technical report)

BACKGROUND: Patient examinations generate large amounts of data on various diseases, which are virtually impossible to process manually. Currently, automated radiology workstations incorporate clinical decision–support systems that facilitate image analysis. At present, two options are used: built-in vendor-dependent and vendor-independent software solutions. Both have broad functionality, but they also have their advantages and drawbacks. Therefore, the choice of the best clinical decision–support system depends on the healthcare organization. AIM: This study aimed to compare two approaches for selecting radiodiagnostic solutions for automated radiology workstations in Moscow. METHODS: The study conducted a two-stage, cross-sectional survey between September 2023 and March 2024. Data on vendor-independent software were obtained from participants of the Experiment on the use of innovative computer vision technologies for analysis of medical images in the Moscow healthcare system. Conversely, data on vendor-dependent solutions was collected from the manufacturers’ websites. Furthermore, a survey of 40 radiologists was performed to evaluate the relevance of software functions. RESULTS: At the time of the survey, the vendor-independent software demonstrated slightly more functions than the vendor-dependent solutions. The greatest differences were observed in the functionality of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging modalities, whereas the functionality for X-ray imaging and mammography was nearly identical. The survey of radiologists showed that 6 of 17 functions were unique to built-in vendor-dependent software. However, 40% of the radiologists actually needed these functions, whereas the shared functions were relevant for 50% of the respondents. CONCLUSION: Vendor-independent and built-in vendor-dependent software solutions share only half of their functions. Thus, in choosing between these two options, healthcare facilities should consider their specialization and their radiologists’ requests. Moreover, approximately two-thirds of the built-in vendor-dependent software functions used by radiologists in Moscow can be implemented using vendor-independent solutions. Therefore, the choice of software should be based on the facility’s technical capacity and economic feasibility.