Radiology Reporting: A Closed-Loop Cycle from Order Entry to Results Communication

The cycle starts with physician order entry, now often performed through the electronic medical record, with clinical decision support to ensure that the most effective imaging study is ordered. Radiology reports are now almost all in electronic format. The majority are produced using speech recognition systems. Optimization of this software use can alleviate some, if not all, of the inherent user inefficiencies in this type of reporting. Integrated third-party software applications that provide data mining capability are extremely helpful in both academic and clinical settings. The closed-loop ends with automated communication of imaging results. Software products for this purpose should facilitate use of levels of alert, automated escalation to providers, and recording of audit trails of reports received. The multiple components of reporting should be completely interoperable with each other, as well as with the PACS, the RIS, and the electronic medical record. This integration will maximize radiologist efficiency and minimize the possibility of communication error.