In the medical setting, a synoptic report is a structured document that summarizes the results of an examination or the status of a condition. Applied to medical imaging, synoptic reporting provides a concise presentation of the essential information resulting from an examination (X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, scanner, etc.).
What are the benefits of synoptic reporting compared to traditional imaging reports? What role does it play in communicating results, and how can new technologies contribute to the development of these documents?
The benefits of synoptic reporting in radiology:
An American study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology compared the efficacy of imaging reports and synoptic reports for the CT scans of 205 patients with ovarian cancer. The results were unanimous for the radiology staff: synoptic reports are more exhaustive, facilitate communication, and improve clinical decision-making.
In this study, unresectable or difficult to resect areas were only mentioned in 37% of simple imaging reports versus 100% of synoptic reports. This is partly down to the fact that synoptic reports use templates specific to each disease and include a list of information to be completed following the examination, whereas conventional reports are often written from a blank page 1 . This completeness therefore makes it possible to come to more informed decisions regarding treatment of a condition.
Synoptic reports not only provide more comprehensive information about the radiological examination, but they also save time for medical staff when writing them, as they can follow pre-established models. Designed to provide an overall, consistent, and concise summary of examination results, synoptic reports facilitate the delivery of radiological information to patients and other departments within the medical institution.
Which tools can be used to produce synoptic reports?
There are several solutions on the market that can help radiologists write synoptic reports for medical imaging exams. This is the case for certain radiological information systems (RIS), which offer the possibility of easily creating and exporting synoptic reports. Several PACSs (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) also offer this feature. Finally, some solutions are exclusively dedicated to the production of radiological synoptic reports, such as PowerScribe One, RadioReport and Smart Reporting.
There is no doubt that artificial intelligence will make it possible to enrich existing solutions by automating the drafting of reports via the analysis of radiological images. AI-based solutions are already able to generate pre-written synoptic reports with observations and conclusions that are then reviewed by a radiologist. The interoperability of these solutions with the information system is a key issue to ensure results can be shared easily, quickly and securely.
Synoptic reports are gradually replacing conventional imaging reports. Being more comprehensive, they facilitate decision-making as well as communication to third parties while also saving radiologists time. There are a multitude of digital solutions that facilitate the creation of such reports. Artificial intelligence multiplies the support provided to medical imaging professionals, allowing them to spend less time on writing reports and more time on patient care.
1 https://www.thema-radiologie.fr/actualites/3641/cancer-de-l-ovaire-les-avantages-du-compte-rendu-synoptique-pour-les-patientes.html
