Even when a technologist acquires an ideal image and a radiologist performs a thorough, accurate interpretation, imaging excellence can be negated if the results are not clearly and effectively communicated to referring doctors. Structured reporting elevates clarity and concision by: 

• Using the same language. Even minor errors in dictation or transcription can compromise the accuracy of image acquisition and exam interpretation. vRad’s structured reporting solution “maps” language—consistently rendering reports that are easy to read, understand and act on.  
• Following the same format. Structured reports organize data and present findings in an unvarying way, improving referring physicians’ comprehension and efficiency. For example, leaders at Mayo Clinic noticed that referrers were frequently missing incidental findings that were buried in the body section of reports. To ensure incidental findings were seen and patient care improved, they restructured reports to isolate all findings at the top of the report.
• Yielding consistent data. vRad’s structured reporting system presents data in a consistent manner, simplifying coding and mining for clinical, billing or research purposes—an increasingly important consideration with the pending ICD-10 legislation.
• Tailoring templates according to user preferences. vRad’s solution lets referring physicians select the look they like right down to use of boldface type, italics, bullet points, headers/footers and so on. By automatically incorporating such personal preferences, the system improves ease of use for radiologists and builds better doc-to-doc communications on both ends.

The bottom line: All eyes on diagnostic images for the full duration of the interpretation!