Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) and Radiology Information Systems (RIS) are integral to radiology reporting in NHS hospitals. The implementation of PACS and RIS serve to increase overall productivity in radiology through allowing faster access and manipulation of images1, as well as increasing connectivity and interoperability in image sharing between trusts at a local, regional and national level.2 However, importance lies in ascertaining the usability of these systems amongst radiologists. Despite efforts to improve overall efficiency in radiology, little is known about the impact...

A total of five radiologists cumulatively reported 200 CXRs in batches of five. Two different PACS/RIS systems (AGFA PACS/RIS and Carestream PACS/Soliton RIS) were used at two different institutions. Three radiologists reported solely on AGFA PACS/RIS, one radiologist reported solely on Carestream PACS/Soliton RIS, and one radiologist reported on both systems. Each radiologist was timed using an electronic stopwatch with split-timer functionality, so as to evaluate 'wasted' reporting time and 'useful' reporting timeFig. 1. To minimise bias, each radiologist was timed by the same individual,...

The results of both systems are summarised in Table 1. Average wasted time per 5 CXRs was approximately 51% and 33% for the two systems. For the radiologist reporting on both systems, a substantial difference in average time taken to report five CXRs was noted between the two systems (9 minutes versus 2 minutes). Average overall time taken to report 100 CXRs, excluding breaks, was more than double using one system (127.64 minutes) compared to the other (55.05 minutes). System 1 System 2 Average time...

In conclusion, the choice of PACS/RIS utilised can substantially influence radiologists’ reporting times. Depending on the PACS/RIS, between 33% and 51% of reporting time can be spent on tasks not related directly to image interpretation. Optimising PACS/RIS technology with an emphasis on efficient radiology reporting, has the potential to help deal with plain film reporting backlogs that are well recognized in the UK.3

Singh S, Gulati A, Harrison B, Curtin J, Seaton D. Picture archiving and communications system (PACS): the benefits and problems of digital imaging in the NHS. Clinical Medicine. 2007; 7(2):202-203. Available from: http://www.clinmed.rcpjournal.org/content/7/2/202.long. [Accessed 16th March 2018]. The Royal College of Radiologists. Guidelines and standards for implementation of new PACS/RIS solutions in the UK. London: The Royal College of Radiologists, 2011. The Royal College of Radiologists. Unreported X-rays, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans: Results of a snapshot survey of English National...