METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF A READER OF SCREENING MAMMOGRAMS

20190370723

15/997142

June 04, 2018

Method and system for evaluating the performance of a reader of screening mammograms. According to one embodiment, the system includes a performance evaluator that is in electronic communication with both one or more readers of screening mammograms and one or more supervisors. The performance evaluator is configured to collect information from each reader as to whether a recall request is a bilateral or unilateral recall request and, if a unilateral recall request, is for a left breast or right breast. In addition, the performance evaluator is designed to use such information to assess the performance of one or more readers by comparing the observed bilateral recall request rate to a standard bilateral recall request rate and/or by comparing the numbers of left breast recall requests and right breast recall requests to expected numbers of the same. The performance assessment is then available for electronic retrieval by any authorized supervisor.

1. A system for evaluating the performance of at least one screening mammogram reader, the system comprising: (a) a performance evaluator, the performance evaluator comprising a central controller; and (b) a first compute device, the first compute device being adapted for use by a first screening mammogram reader, the first compute device being in electronic communication with the central controller, wherein call-back request information associated with the first screening mammogram reader is uploaded from the first compute device to the central controller and wherein the call-back request information comprises an indication as to whether a unilateral call-back request is for a left breast or for a right breast; (c) wherein the performance evaluator aggregates the call-back request information for unilateral call-back requests uploaded from the first compute device and wherein the central controller for the performance evaluator makes an assessment of lateral bias for unilateral call-back requests of the first screening mammogram reader based on the aggregated unilateral call-back request information.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the aggregated unilateral call-back request information comprises an observed number of left breast call-back requests and an observed number of right breast call-back requests for the first screening mammogram reader and wherein the central controller assesses lateral bias by comparing the observed numbers of left breast call-back requests and right breast call-back requests for the first screening mammogram reader to expected numbers of left breast call-back requests and right breast call-back requests, respectively.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the central controller compares the observed numbers of left and right breast call-back requests for the first screening mammogram reader to expected numbers of left and right breast call-back requests, respectively, using a chi-square test, other statistical evaluation and/or simple arithmetic comparison.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first compute device is selected from the group consisting of one or more of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a smartphone, and a kiosk-type workstation, whether used alternatively or in combination.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a second compute device, the second compute device being adapted for use by a first supervising entity, the second compute device being in electronic communication with the central controller.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the second compute device is selected from the group consisting of one or more of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a smartphone, and a kiosk-type workstation, whether used alternatively or in combination.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the assessment of lateral bias for the first screening mammogram reader is retrievable by the first supervising entity using the second compute device.

8. The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the performance evaluator automatically sends a notification to the second compute device when the central controller determines a presence of lateral bias.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a third compute device, the third compute device being adapted for use by a second screening mammogram reader, the third compute device being in electronic communication with the central controller, wherein call-back request information associated with the second screening mammogram reader is uploaded from the third compute device to the central controller, wherein the call-back request information associated with the second screening mammogram reader comprises an indication as to whether a unilateral call-back request is for a left breast or for a right breast, wherein the performance evaluator aggregates the call-back request information for unilateral call-back requests uploaded from the third compute device, and wherein the central controller for the performance evaluator issues an assessment of lateral bias for unilateral call-back requests of the second screening mammogram reader based on the aggregated unilateral call-back request information.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the assessment of lateral bias for the second screening mammogram reader is retrievable by the first supervising entity using the second compute device.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the performance evaluator and the first compute device is integrated with at least one of voice-recognition software and/or hardware; an electronic medical record apparatus; mammography reporting and analysis software; and radiology reporting software and/or hardware.

12. A system for evaluating the performance of at least one screening mammogram reader, the system comprising: (a) a performance evaluator, the performance evaluator comprising a central controller; and (b) a first compute device, the first compute device being adapted for use by a first screening mammogram reader, the first compute device being in electronic communication with the central controller, wherein call-back request information associated with the first screening mammogram reader is uploaded from the first compute device to the central controller and wherein the call-back request information comprises an indication as to whether or not the first screening mammogram reader is advising a bilateral call-back request; (c) wherein the performance evaluator aggregates the call-back request information for bilateral call-back requests uploaded from the first compute device and wherein the central controller for the performance evaluator makes an assessment of bilateral bias of the first screening mammogram reader based on the aggregated bilateral call-back request information.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the aggregated bilateral call-back request information comprises an observed number of bilateral call-back requests and an observed number of other outcomes for the first screening mammogram reader and wherein the central controller assesses bilateral bias by comparing the observed numbers of bilateral call-back requests and other outcomes for the first screening mammogram reader to expected numbers of bilateral call-back requests and other outcomes, respectively.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the central controller compares the observed numbers of bilateral call-back requests and other outcomes for the first screening mammogram reader to expected numbers of bilateral call-back requests and other outcomes, respectively, using a chi-square test, other statistical evaluation and/or simple arithmetic comparison.

15. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the first compute device is selected from the group consisting of one or more of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a smartphone, and a kiosk-type workstation, whether used alternatively or in combination.

16. The system as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a second compute device, the second compute device being adapted for use by a supervising entity, the second compute device being in electronic communication with the central controller.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the second compute device is selected from the group consisting of one or more of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a smartphone, and a kiosk-type workstation, whether used alternatively or in combination.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the assessment of bilateral bias by the first screening mammogram reader is retrievable by the supervising entity using the second compute device.

19. The system as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a third compute device, the third compute device being adapted for use by a second screening mammogram reader, the third compute device being in electronic communication with the central controller, wherein call-back request information associated with the second screening mammogram reader is uploaded from the third compute device to the central controller, wherein the call-back request information comprises an indication as to whether or not the second screening mammogram reader is advising a bilateral call-back request, wherein the performance evaluator aggregates the call-back request information uploaded from the third compute device, and wherein the central controller for the performance evaluator makes an assessment of bilateral bias for the second screening mammogram reader based on the aggregated bilateral call-back request information.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the assessment of bilateral bias for the second screening mammogram reader is retrievable by the first supervising entity using the second compute device.

21. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein at least one of the performance evaluator and the first compute device is integrated with at least one of voice-recognition software and/or hardware; an electronic medical record apparatus; mammography reporting and analysis software; and radiology reporting software and/or hardware.

22. A system for evaluating the performance of at least one screening mammogram reader, the system comprising: (a) a performance evaluator, the performance evaluator comprising a central controller; and (b) a first compute device, the first compute device being adapted for use by a first screening mammogram reader, the first compute device being in electronic communication with the central controller, wherein call-back request information associated with the first screening mammogram reader is uploaded from the first compute device to the central controller and wherein the call-back request information comprises an indication that a call-back is being advised for a left breast, a right breast, both breasts, or neither breast; (c) wherein the performance evaluator aggregates the call-back request information uploaded from the first compute device and wherein the central controller for the performance evaluator, based on the aggregated call-back information, assesses the first screening mammogram reader for lateral bias for unilateral call-back requests and/or assesses the first screening mammogram reader for bilateral bias.

23. The system as claimed in claim 22 wherein at least one of the performance evaluator and the first compute device is integrated with at least one of voice-recognition software and/or hardware; an electronic medical record apparatus; mammography reporting and analysis software; and radiology reporting software and/or hardware.

06; 16; 16

edspap.20190370723