Posted online August 15 , 2014 at http :// www . ada . org / epubs / highroad / jadaRadiology / 081314 . html # one Copyright © 2014 American Dental Association . All rights reserved . Reprinted with permission .
Are consumer , tablet and 6MP displays equally useful for detecting anatomical and pathological structures ?
It depends on who is interpreting the images , research published in the July 2014 issue of Oral Surgery , Oral Medicine , Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology says .
With new technologies come potentially useful mobile devices and radiology applications . However , scientists in Finland could find only one study evaluating the effect of liquid-crystal displays on diagnostic performance of panoramic radiographs and none on tablet use .
Their aim , therefore , was to compare observer performance in detecting both anatomical and pathological structures in panoramic radiographs using consumer grade and tablet displays under suboptimal conditions as compared to the 6MP ( megapixels ) display calibrated with Gray Scale Standard Display Function under low ambient light conditions . Their research hypothesis was that medical display in low ambient light conditions is better than consumer grade display or tablet under high ambient light .
To investigate , the researchers selected 30 panoramic radiographs showing clearly visible structures . After an hour of training on how to use viewing programs , two observers with different levels of interpreting experience evaluated all images on each of the three display types .
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Observer 1 was an oral and maxillofacial radiologist with eight years of experience . Observer 2 was a resident in oral and maxillofacial radiology with two years of interpreting experience . They evaluated images on the consumer grade display and the tablet during the first session and on the 6MP display three weeks later . They were each allowed one minute per image to evaluate seven different anatomical structures and pathological lesions from the left side of the jaw .
The observers used a five-point scaling system :
1 . definitely not a finding ; 2 . probably not a finding ; 3 . unable to evaluate ; 4 . probably a finding ; 5 . definitely a finding .
When successful ratings were tallied , researchers found that the less experienced observer performed significantly worse on a 30.4 inch tablet as compared to a 30.4 inch 6MP display in identifying dentinal caries in the lower molar and periapical lesions in the upper molar in panoramic radiographs under bright-light conditions . The more experienced observer performed similarly on the tablet and 6MP display .
In discussion , the researchers noted that other studies evaluating the accuracy of radiographic methods have shown significant differences in diagnostic performance between individual observers and have attributed this to differences in experience , training or visual perception .
“ With regards to visual perception , in low lighting conditions the rods in the eye are activated and small differences in gray scale between pixels on the monitor can be seen . Conversely , at bright lighting levels , the rods are less active and small contrast differences are more difficult to observe ,” the authors explained in discussion .
They cited previous supporting research . “ To associate with differences in experience , training or visual perception , it seems that a more experienced radiologists sees more shades of gray .”
They concluded that a dentist in the early phases of training in interpreting panoramic images may be more dependent on a high-quality medical display used under optimal viewing conditions , while an experienced dentist can achieve high diagnostic standards using suboptimal diagnostic technology . �