A group of health specialists has launched an app for mobile phones called Radiology Simple Guide to help health workers analyse and read MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) more accurately.

The app was designed and developed by Dr Ishaq bin Sulaiman al Salmi, radiology specialist at The Royal Hospital, Dr Iman bin Mohammed al Hadidi, radiology specialist in the Directorate General of Health Services of Muscat governorate, and Abdulaziz bin Bader al Salmi, programming technician.

MRI is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields and radio waves to generate images of the organs in the body.

The app caters to trainee and specialist radiologists, besides oncologists, gynecologists and obstetrics.

In the initial stage, the app will focus on training users to read and analyse radiation data of the pelvic area. A similar app for chest X-rays is currently being developed in cooperation with Dr Rashid al Amiri, consultant doctor at The Royal Hospital, besides another for prostate MRIs. 

The plan for the future is to produce at least ten programmes including the most frequently used radiology tests.   

A number of components have been added to the app, including introduction to the most common diseases of the pelvic area with images and reports to assist beginners.

The information of the app is displayed on an innovative feature that simulates a realistic work environment. The app improves accuracy of reading for users. The application can be downloaded to both Android phones and iPhones.