Handheld devices for radiologists: as good as monitors?

Abstract

Handheld computers, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smartphones, have become commonplace in recent years, and the range of social and professional applications available for these technologies has also undergone rapid expansion. The portability and flexibility offered by handheld devices invites many attractive ideas in the field of medicine, including in radiology. For instance, the possibility of radiologists having fast access to patient images from any location, either in or remote from the hospital, is immediately appealing, particularly in the context of urgent or unusual cases. However, the introduction of handheld devices as radiological displays is not a straightforward issue, with many considerations to take into account. Security and confidentiality, costs and data transfer speed all must be borne in mind when considering the introduction of handheld device-based image viewing. Perhaps the greatest and most obvious concern, however, is whether handheld devices could possibly display images at sufficient quality to allow an accurate opinion or report to be given. Can handheld displays equal the conventional monitor in radiological image viewing?