By Trevor Bromley

Medical imaging has grown by leaps and bounds over the decades. The initial foray starting with X-ray with film has expanded to MRI, digital image capture, cloud-based image storage and more. Artificial intelligence is also being tapped to play a larger part. But up until recently, limitations due to requirements of what imaging studies could be displayed on and where those displays were housed kept radiologists tethered to a location that offered workstations and the other tools of the trade. Even teleradiology, which commonly enlists the help of professionals in different time zones to read imaging studies, still limited many physicians to being near an office or hospital where they could access and read the images at a workstation. That’s why the announcement in early 2020 from EBM technologies should be of great interest to organizations wishing to obtain the services of topnotch radiologists. It should also be of interest to those professionals who want to continue in their careers, but may be migrating away from metropolitan areas, as many have considered doing during the pandemic.

The tech-away
EBM technologies, a developer of software and medical information solutions, has developed a Ubiquitous Diagnostic Environment (UDE) App and released it commercially in 2020. The UDE allows users to convert iPad Pros into standalone radiology medical-grade imaging viewers, displays and servers. The take-away is that these capabilities allow radiologists much more flexibility in where they work, untethering them from the traditional workstation locales.

To manage the feat, a radiologist would utilize a pair of iPad Pro tablets. Using the UDE and tablets, the radiologist can read, store and display all DICOM files, load transmitted DICOM data directly from PACS and other modalities, and support data transmission with third-party DICOM viewers. The app also allows users to manipulate images to focus on areas of interest in the study, and to measure and annotate images to call those areas of interest to the attention of others involved with the patient’s care. Those added capabilities help to increase the ability to collaborate with colleagues regardless of how widespread the team is.

Built-in AI and pushed out data
The UDE app also offers embedded AI models to assist with screening efforts. As those AI models continue to tap into more data, the assistance becomes more and more valuable to the user.

Customizable first in, first out settings allow users to manage DICOM data stored on the iPad Pros. The data can also be backed up to a cloud server for redundancy or to preserve space on the iPad. Like EBM Technologies’ remote reading system, Rad@, that was granted FDA clearance in 2017, the UDE app is FDA approved and is in the final stages of obtaining CE approval. Both Rad@ and the UDE app are also vendor neutral allowing users to incorporate it into their workflow regardless of the imaging equipment vendor they utilize.

Small footprint, small investment
Anyone in radiology has an idea of the footprint of traditional reading workstations. At this stage, anyone in radiology and many people outside of radiology, have an idea of the footprint of an iPad Pro (or two). The difference is substantial. Radiologists don’t have a briefcase or satchel large enough to take a reading station along for the days they’re intending to work remote. The UDE offers a server, plus viewing diagnostic monitor solution in a portable package.

Coupled with the smaller footprint comes another reduction, one that should be of particular interest to finance managers – the cost involved. Workstations are expensive, but two iPad Pros would set someone back a little over $2,000. User support for Apple products also continues to be solid.

Attracting talent
As was previously mentioned, the UDE app allows flexibility for radiologist read locales. If a radiologist has a significant commute and therefor would prefer working from a home office a couple days a week, it’s more feasible and less expensive via the UDE and the iPad Pros. If they float from different hospitals throughout the week, having access to images in a standard interface that they can interact with daily, instead of a variety of interfaces from healthcare system to healthcare system – or even hospital to hospital in a single system – will help them to focus on the work instead of on the process to get to the work they need to do or to deliver it, leading to faster, more seamless reads.

Accessing imaging studies through their own dedicated iPad Pros rather than the communal workstation also means there’s not friction between different physicians in how a station is set up, be it the ergonomics or display preferences.

For employers, giving more freedom to their talent increases their ability to attract and retain topnotch physicians. Another point of interest in that same vein is that it reduces the need to be physically in a hospital when a radiologist isn’t physically interacting with a patient and as the pandemic has shown, there’s a big benefit to that. Providing physicians with essentially their own image reading workstation also delivers a safety benefit on many minds during COVID. It limits contact with others – people don’t need to use the same desk. They don’t even need to physically be at the hospital, they can be at home doing the work, reducing their exposure to increase their ability to stay healthy and improve the chance that others will stay health as well.