VISION: Toward a Standardized Process for Radiology Image Management at the National Level

TL;DR

This paper discusses the challenges and procedures involved in creating a standardized, research-ready radiology image repository linked to a large healthcare database, highlighting bottlenecks and insights for automation.

Contribution

It provides a detailed account of establishing a trusted, research-ready radiology image collection linked to the VA database, including procedures and challenges encountered.

Findings

Identified key procedures for transferring images from clinical to research environments.

Highlighted bottlenecks hindering automation in image collection.

Provided insights for future standardization and automation efforts.

Abstract

The compilation and analysis of radiological images poses numerous challenges for researchers. The sheer volume of data as well as the computational needs of algorithms capable of operating on images are extensive. Additionally, the assembly of these images alone is difficult, as these exams may differ widely in terms of clinical context, structured annotation available for model training, modality, and patient identifiers. In this paper, we describe our experiences and challenges in establishing a trusted collection of radiology images linked to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) electronic health record database. We also discuss implications in making this repository research-ready for medical investigators. Key insights include uncovering the specific procedures required for transferring images from a clinical to a research-ready environment, as well as roadblocks and bottlenecks in this process that may hinder future efforts at automation.