Supriya Gupta MBBS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Norman B. Thomson MD, Presenter: Stockholder, Nuance Communications, Inc

James Vincent Rawson MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Implementation of various informatics tools can potentiate efficient clinical workflow and aid radiologists and referring physicians to synchronize their expectations from an imaging exam. Evaluation and knowledge of pretest probability can be used as a marker for assessing imaging exam utilization.

Changing expectations of referring physicians and increasing pay for performance burden for the radiologists creates need for integrating time-saving efficient data mining tools in clinical workflow. Our purpose is to discuss the potential of integrating data mining tool at various steps in radiology workflow to enhance pretest probability of imaging exam. 

We enumerate potential of data mining at each step of the clinical workflow to enhance pretest probability: Before placing exam order: Tools for auto-populating relevant patient information like allergies, pregnancy, known chronic disease, family history and contraindications for performing imaging exams. During placement of an exam order: Order entry system at any hospital leverages the most important connection in the workflow. Accurate clinical description (signs, symptoms, physical findings, pertinent lab data) should be well laid out. After order is placed: Data mining tools can be integrated into the viewer to display pertinent patient information during dicttaion to provide differential diagnosis by querying institutional database based on patient age, gender, location, clinical sign and type of imaging exam.

Various informatics tools are currently deployed sporadically or in conjunction at various institutions for potentiating clinical and imaging workflow. However, the expectation of a referring physician may not be entirely reflected in this cumulative clinical information. Since radiologists depend on provided history and clinical examination of the referring physician.The implementation of data mining necessitates availability of an integrated EHR which is queriable. Recent push by government for adoption of EHRs should go hand in hand with data mining systems.

Gupta, S, Thomson, N, Rawson, J, Mine Your Data ! - Enhancing Pretest Probability of Imaging through Incorporation of Data Mining Tools in Clinical Workflow.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14015791.html