Application of information and communication technology in radiological practices: a cross-sectional study among radiologists in Ghana

Abstract

Background There is an inadequate number of radiologists in Ghana whose distribution are skewed in favour of urban areas, creating a huge service gap with the few radiologists overburdened with work. The only way to bridge this service gap while increasing numbers of radiologists by training is from the application of information communication technology (ICT), hence this study. Methods This was a cross-sectional questionnaire administered study conducted between 16th - 18th May 2019 during the annual general meeting of the Ghana Association of Radiologists involving 46 consented radiologists. The questionnaire investigated the available ICT tools, imaging modalities, the degree of usage and impacts of ICT on radiologists work output. Results The most available modalities were digital. 13.0% had teleradiology available, but 32.6% were familiar with it. All radiologists indicated improvement in work output with ICT. The time taken to report a case reduced from 1-2 hours to 10-30 minutes with ICT. Majority did not communicate professional issues via e-mails. 95.7%, 13.0% and 10.9% of radiologists used WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter respectively to communicate radiological information. Online research provided significant information for their radiological reporting. Conclusion The topmost four imaging modalities readily available were Digital Ultrasound, Digital Radiography, Computed Tomography scan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The availability of and familiarity with teleradiology was low in radiological practices. The reporting time per case and work output of radiologists were improved with ICT. The two most common social media platforms used by radiologists were WhatsApp and Facebook.