title: Radiology reports: a quantifiable and objective textual approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the feasibility of using automated lexical analysis in conjunction with machine learning to create a means of objectively characterising radiology reports for quality improvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve lexical parameters were quantified from the collected reports of four radiologists. These included the number of different words used, number of sentences, reading grade, readability, usage of the passive voice, and lexical metrics of concreteness, ambivalence, complexity, passivity, embellishment, communication and cognition. Each radiologist was statistically compared to the mean of the group for each parameter to determine outlying report characteristics. The reproducibility of these parameters in a given radiologist's reporting style was tested by using only these 12 parameters as input to a neural network designed to establish the authorship of 60 unknown reports.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences in report characteristics were observed between radiologists, quantifying and characterising deviations of individuals from the group reporting style. The 12 metrics employed in a neural network correctly identified the author in each of 60 unknown reports tested, indicating a robust parametric signature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Automated and quantifiable methods can be used to analyse reporting style and provide impartial and objective feedback as well as to detect and characterise significant differences from the group. The parameters examined are sufficiently specific to identify the authors of reports and can potentially be useful in quality improvement and residency training.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address: scott@helix.mgh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Palmer
mesh_terms: D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D032882:Comprehension; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000592:standards; D015588:Observer Variation; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000592:standards; D011871:Radiology / Q000592:standards*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards*