Is it time for an update of your grayscale displays? 5 checks

Many breast and general radiology cases today still consist mainly of grayscale images. So many radiologists use a set of dedicated displays to read them. Are yours keeping up with the times? Here’s a short checklist.

Clinical performance

Check 1: The quality and detail you need

Your display’s luminance, resolution and additional visual technologies can influence whether you see small details, or not.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

• ✓ What is your display’s luminance? Can you boost it when you want to inspect a small detail?
• ✓ What is your display’s resolution and aspect ratio? Do you need a lot of clicks to view an image in its entirety?
• ✓ Does your display include technologies that keep its screen stability in check over time?

For instance, a resolution of 5.8MP combined with a 3:4 aspect ratio results in you needing less clicks to see more details.

Does your display offer additional technologies that keep its screen stability in check over time?

Check 2: In sync with the way you work

When reading images on a screen is your daily job, then your display really should not just be a medium to view images. It should be a companion: supporting your way of working in all the ways it can.

• ✓ Does your display optimally support every grayscale image modality you read?
• ✓ Does it offer personalization settings and clinical tools that you can adjust to your preference?

I have found abnormalities using SpotView even though I thought I had finished searching a case. This tool is very impressive when evaluating calcifications for possible call-backs when reading screening mammograms.

Operational performance

Along with the amount and types of images, the regulations surrounding medical displays for diagnostic use have grown more plentiful and more complex over the years. But that shouldn’t translate into more work for you to maintain your display’s quality and compliance. Software solutions can go a long way to support you with that.

Check 3: Compliance with regulations

• ✓ Does your display work with a software system that helps you perform compliance checks with (inter)national and local regulations?

Check 4: Quality, assured

• ✓ Does your display automatically perform quality checks throughout the day, without needing human intervention?
• ✓ Can your PACS management staff track quality control results remotely on a cloud platform?

Software solutions can help you manage quality checks remotely and ensure that your radiologists' workstations comply with regulations.

Financial performance

As the field of radiology evolves, so does a display’s usage. What’s the relationship between your equipment and your profitability, today?

Check 5: Return on investment

• ✓ When did you acquire your display, and how long does/did its warranty run?
• ✓ What is your display’s power usage – both in active use and in stand-by mode?
• ✓ On average, for how many hours is your display used during a regular week?

Radiologists often have multiple workstations on their desks, which they use interchangeably according to the case they review – for example, a grayscale 5.8MP display for mammography images. That can result in some displays being used more often than others. Consequently, these displays will age faster and need replacement earlier than others.

If your IT teams have insights into the age, usage, and remaining backlight hours of your fleet, they can make calculated decisions on when replacements need to happen.

Time for some updates in your fleet?

Discover the latest grayscale displays in our portfolio