ESR paper on the proper use of mobile devices in radiology

Abstract

Mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.) have become key methods of communication, data access and data sharing for the population in the past decade. The technological capabilities of these devices have expanded very rapidly; for example, their in-built cameras have largely replaced conventional cameras. Their processing power is often sufficient to handle the large data sets of radiology studies and to manipulate images and studies directly on hand-held devices. Thus, they can be used to transmit and view radiology studies, often in locations remote from the source of the imaging data. They are not recommended for primary interpretation of radiology studies, but they facilitate sharing of studies for second opinions, viewing of studies and reports by clinicians at the bedside, etc. Other potential applications include remote participation in educational activity (e.g. webinars) and consultation of online educational content, e-books, journals and reference sources. Social-networking applications can be used for exchanging professional information and teaching. Users of mobile device must be aware of the vulnerabilities and dangers of their use, in particular regarding the potential for inappropriate sharing of confidential patient information, and must take appropriate steps to protect confidential data.

Key Points

• Mobile devices have revolutionized communication in the past decade, and are now ubiquitous.

• Mobile devices have sufficient processing power to manipulate and display large data sets of radiological images.

• Mobile devices allow transmission & sharing of radiologic studies for purposes of second opinions, bedside review of images, teaching, etc.

• Mobile devices are currently not recommended as tools for primary interpretation of radiologic studies.

• The use of mobile devices for image and data transmission carries risks, especially regarding confidentiality, which must be considered.

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