Would Radiology Be Better with a 13-Button Mouse?

A group of researchers have devised a way to make radiologists’ processes more comfortable and efficient with a slight modification to a piece of everyday technology.

The 13-button mouse was introduced to a group of 59 radiologists and residents over a two-day trial period. Participants were surveyed before and after the trial. The team of researchers led by University of Kansas Medical Center radiology resident Kevin Denton, MD, found that the majority preferred using the newfangled mouse over the traditional three-button device. They reported their findings in a study recently published in the Journal of Digital Imaging.

Although satisfaction rates didn’t significantly increase with the unconventional mouse, overall, participants felt that the mouse was beneficial in several ways. Approximately 66 percent of radiology professionals experienced improvements in efficiency, 62.7 percent said that it saved time, 74.6 percent reported the mouse required less effort, 76.3 percent said it made viewing and manipulating images easier, and 78 percent said it was more comfortable than the three-button mouse.

“The results of this study suggest that current radiologist workstations employ non-optimized user interface technology, specifically regarding the mouse, as participants demonstrated a significant preference for using the non-conventional mouse with enhanced functionality compared to the conventional mouse,” wrote the researchers. “Moreover, increased availability of and training in non-conventional mice may be well received by academic radiologists regardless of sub-specialty and training level.”

These findings could prompt reading rooms to implement more sophisticated and efficient technology. The only question that remains is where can this specialized mouse be purchased?