MaRRS : a software system for generating multimedia radiology reports using Adobe Acrobat

Abstract

Despite the proliferation of multimedia software technologies, radiology reports continue to lack image content that would improve the ability of referring clinicians to fully interpret and analyze radiological findings. This thesis demonstrates that it is possible to construct a radiology reporting software system that contains both text and image content using only "off-the-shelf" multimedia software. Specifically, a software system is presented that provides enhanced visual multimedia capabilities, structured content, and reduced report production time, using a well-known PDF program, Adobe Acrobat. The system, which we call the Multimedia Radiology Report System, or MaRRs, allows radiologists to quickly and simply create and deliver effective interactive multimedia medical reports. A detailed analysis describing the unique structure and functionality of MaRRS will be presented to demonstrate its advantages for both radiologists and referring clinicians.