title: Mammography test sets: reading location and prior images do not affect group performance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine how the location where reading takes place and the availability of prior images can affect performance in breast test-set reading.
  
  
  METHODS
  Under optimized viewing conditions, 10 expert screen readers each interpreted a reader-specific set of images containing 200 mammographic cases. Readers, randomly divided into two groups read images under one of two pairs of conditions: clinical read with prior images and laboratory read with prior images; laboratory read with prior images and laboratory read without prior images. Region-of-interest (ROI) figure-of-merit (FOM) was analysed using JAFROC software. Breast side-specific sensitivity and specificity were tested using Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank tests. Agreement between pairs of readings was measured using Kendall's coefficient of concordance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group performances between test-set readings demonstrated similar ROI FOMs, sensitivity and specificity median values, and acceptable levels of agreement between pairs of readings were shown (W = 0.75-0.79, p < 0.001) for both pairs of reading conditions. On an individual reader level, two readers demonstrated significant decreases (p < 0.05) in ROI FOMs when prior images were unavailable. Reading location had an inconsistent impact on individual performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reading location and availability of prior images did not significantly alter group performance.
authors.affiliation: Medical Image Optimisation and Perception Group (MIOPeG), Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. Electronic address: bsoh6456@uni.sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Soh
authors.affiliation: Cancer Institute NSW, Alexandria, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Medical Image Optimisation and Perception Group (MIOPeG), Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: McEntee
authors.affiliation: Medical Image Optimisation and Perception Group (MIOPeG), Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Kench
authors.affiliation: Medical Image Optimisation and Perception Group (MIOPeG), Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.affiliation: Medical Image Optimisation and Perception Group (MIOPeG), Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heard
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.affiliation: Medical Image Optimisation and Perception Group (MIOPeG), Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Brennan
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D015588:Observer Variation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity