Digital Medical Interview Assistant for Radiology: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract. Background: Personal contact between radiologists and their patients is
scarce due to time constraints and logistical reasons which impacts on patient
knowledgeability and satisfaction, but also on examination and diagnostic quality.
Objective: We illuminate medical history interviews from a radiologist’s
perspective and discuss its impact on the diagnostic quality. Based on these insights,
we develop a digital medical interview assistant (DMIA) for radiology that is
intended to collect information helping in improving radiological diagnostics.
Methods: Conditions, issues, problems in the radiological examination process are
assessed to collect requirements and to specify questions for a digital medical history
interview. Results: A DMIA with conversational user interface is developed using
the scripting language RiveScript. It is accessible through a social media messenger
(Telegram messenger). An initial assessment of usability demonstrates a good
usability. Conclusion: To overcome the information gap in radiology, a DMIA can
simulate an assessment interview. It is still necessary to remove existing bar