The value of observer performance studies in dose
optimization: A focus on free-response receiver
operating characteristic methods

Thompson, JD; Manning, D; Hogg, P

Abstract

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis has been
successfully used in radiology to help determine the combined
success of system and observer. There is great value in
these methods for assessing new and existing techniques to
see if diagnostic accuracy can be improved. Within all
aspects of radiology there should be compliance with the
as-low-as-reasonably-achievable principle, which requires
optimization of the diagnostic suitability of the image. Physical
measures of image quality have long been used in the
assessment of system performance, but these alone are not
sufficient to assess diagnostic capability. It is imperative that
the observer be included in any assessment of diagnostic
performance. The free-response ROC paradigm has been
developed as a statistically powerful advancement of traditional
ROC analysis that allows a precise interpretation of
complex images by adding location information to the level of
observer confidence. The following review of free-response
ROC methodology will explain how observer performance
methods can be valuable in image optimization, including
examples of how these have already been successful in
hybrid imaging.

Citation

operating characteristic methods. Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology, 41(2), 57-64. https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.112.116566

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jun 1, 2013
• Deposit Date: Oct 8, 2013
• Journal: Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
• Print ISSN: 0091-4916
• Publisher: Society of Nuclear Medicine
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 41
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 57-64
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.112.116566
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.112.116566
• Related Public URLs: http://tech.snmjournals.org/