A decision support system to increase the compliance of diagnostic imaging examinations with imaging guidelines: focused on cerebrovascular diseases

Hamid Moghaddasi; Fatemeh Rahimi; Amir Saied Seddighi; Leila Akbarpour; Arash Roshanpoor

doi:10.1515/dx-2024-0072

Article

A decision support system to increase the compliance of diagnostic imaging examinations with imaging guidelines: focused on cerebrovascular diseases

Hamid Moghaddasi , Fatemeh Rahimi , Amir Saied Seddighi , Leila Akbarpour and Arash Roshanpoor

Published/Copyright: November 14, 2024

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From the journal Diagnosis Volume 12 Issue 1

Abstract

Objectives

Diagnostic imaging decision support (DI-DS) system has emerged as an innovative evidence-based solution to decrease inappropriate diagnostic imaging. The aim of the present study was to design and evaluate a DI-DS system for cerebrovascular diseases.

Methods

The present study was an applied piece of research. First, the conceptual model of the DI-DS system was designed based on its functional and non-functional requirements. Afterwards, to create the system’s knowledge base, cerebrovascular diseases diagnostic imaging algorithms were extracted from the American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria (ACR-AC). Subsequently, the system was developed based on the obtained conceptual model and the extracted algorithms. The software was programmed by means of the C#. After debugging the system, it was evaluated regarding its performance and also the users’ satisfaction with it.

Results

Assessing the users’ satisfaction with the system demonstrated that all the evaluation criteria met the acceptable threshold (85 %). The retrospective evaluation of the system’s performance indicated that from among 76 imaging examinations, which had previously been performed for 30 patients, 12 (15.78 %) were deemed inappropriate. And, the system accurately identified all the inappropriate physicians’ decisions. The concurrent evaluation of the system’s performance indicated that the system’s recommendations helped the physicians remove 100 % (4 out of 4) of the inappropriate and 40 % (2 out of 5) of the inconclusive imaging examinations from their initial choices.

Conclusions

A DI-DS system could increase the compliance of the physicians’ decisions with diagnostic imaging guidelines, and also improve treatment outcomes through correct diagnosis and providing timely care.

Keywords: decision support system; diagnostic imaging; cerebrovascular diseases; appropriate imaging

Corresponding author: Fatemeh Rahimi, Department of Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran, E-mail: Rahimifatemeh145@gmail.com

Research ethics: An ethics code (IR.SBMU.RETECH.REC.1402.012) was obtained from the research deputy of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU).
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Author contributions: The authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.
Research funding: None declared.
Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2024-04-19

Accepted: 2024-10-03

Published Online: 2024-11-14

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/dx-2024-0072

Keywords for this article

decision support system; diagnostic imaging; cerebrovascular diseases; appropriate imaging