US Radiology Specialists, which runs over 180 outpatient imaging centers in 14 states, has scaled its use of the SCANSLATED platform to over 110 locations to help patients better understand their radiology reports.

The AI-based solution, launched by Diversified Radiology and Touchstone Medical Imaging in late 2020, translates complex medical terminology into plain language using interactive definitions and diagrams that break down terms, so that patients can have more informed conversations with their doctors about their results and treatment plans.

The company, which first implemented the solution at its Colorado facilities, expanded it once before in 2022 to facilities in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma. With this most recent expansion, U.S. Radiology Specialists says that 95% out of over 150,000 patients reported being able to understand their results and that 98% had a positive experience reading them with the technology. Additionally, 88% said it allowed them to have a more productive conversation with their physicians.

"Direct patient engagement opportunities can traditionally be limited in radiology. However, our research indicates that patient-friendly radiology reports may represent a promising strategy for improving patient-centered outcomes,” said Dr. Jennifer Kemp, quality chair at Diversified Radiology, a stakeholder in Scanslated.

The solution is accessible via smartphone, computer, or tablet, and provided the patients at US Radiology Specialists with access to more than four million user-friendly radiology definitions.

In a survey conducted by Kemp and Dr. Nicholas Befera of Duke University Health, another SCANSLATED stakeholder, in North Carolina, which deployed the system at its three hospitals and 14 outpatient imaging centers in 2022, over 80% of 1,000 patients said they felt better prepared and had more productive conversations with their physicians. Also, 77% percent felt they more clearly understood treatment recommendations, and 70% were less anxious about their imaging results.

The findings of the survey were published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

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