Human-AI Collaboration in Radiology: The Case of Pulmonary Embolism

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Goldsmith-Pinkham, Paul, Tan, Chenhao, Zentefis, Alexander K.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Goldsmith-Pinkham, Paul
Tan, Chenhao
Zentefis, Alexander K.
author_facet Goldsmith-Pinkham, Paul
Tan, Chenhao
Zentefis, Alexander K.
contents We study how radiologists use AI to diagnose pulmonary embolism (PE), tracking over 100,000 scans interpreted by nearly 400 radiologists during the staggered rollout of a real-world FDA-approved diagnostic platform in a hospital system. When AI flags PE, radiologists agree 84% of the time; when AI predicts no PE, they agree 97%. Disagreement evolves substantially: radiologists initially reject AI-positive PEs in 30% of cases, dropping to 12% by year two. Despite a 16% increase in scan volume, diagnostic speed remains stable while per-radiologist monthly volumes nearly double, with no change in patient mortality -- suggesting AI improves workflow without compromising outcomes. We document significant heterogeneity in AI collaboration: some radiologists reject AI-flagged PEs half the time while others accept nearly always; female radiologists are 6 percentage points less likely to override AI than male radiologists. Moderate AI engagement is associated with the highest agreement, whereas both low and high engagement show more disagreement. Follow-up imaging reveals that when radiologists override AI to diagnose PE, 54% of subsequent scans show both agreeing on no PE within 30 days.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_13379
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Human-AI Collaboration in Radiology: The Case of Pulmonary Embolism
Goldsmith-Pinkham, Paul
Tan, Chenhao
Zentefis, Alexander K.
General Economics
Economics
We study how radiologists use AI to diagnose pulmonary embolism (PE), tracking over 100,000 scans interpreted by nearly 400 radiologists during the staggered rollout of a real-world FDA-approved diagnostic platform in a hospital system. When AI flags PE, radiologists agree 84% of the time; when AI predicts no PE, they agree 97%. Disagreement evolves substantially: radiologists initially reject AI-positive PEs in 30% of cases, dropping to 12% by year two. Despite a 16% increase in scan volume, diagnostic speed remains stable while per-radiologist monthly volumes nearly double, with no change in patient mortality -- suggesting AI improves workflow without compromising outcomes. We document significant heterogeneity in AI collaboration: some radiologists reject AI-flagged PEs half the time while others accept nearly always; female radiologists are 6 percentage points less likely to override AI than male radiologists. Moderate AI engagement is associated with the highest agreement, whereas both low and high engagement show more disagreement. Follow-up imaging reveals that when radiologists override AI to diagnose PE, 54% of subsequent scans show both agreeing on no PE within 30 days.
title Human-AI Collaboration in Radiology: The Case of Pulmonary Embolism
topic General Economics
Economics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.13379