Implementing the SCORE system improves the quality of clinical EEG reading

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether implementing the freeware version of the SCORE EEG system (Standardized Computer-based Organized Reporting of EEG) leads to improvement in the quality of clinical EEG reading, and whether EEG reports in SCORE EEG are understood and accepted by the referring physicians. METHODS: We generated EEG reports in the conventional, free-text style and then using SCORE EEG, in consecutive patients referred to routine EEG. We used the Georgian translation in the SCORE EEG Free Edition. We pre-defined quality indicators consisting of a list of 24 key features that need to be addressed in EEG reports. We compared these quality indicators in free-text reports with SCORE EEG. In addition, EEG reports in SCORE EEG format were assessed by ten referring physicians, who evaluated their usability on a 7-point Likert scale. RESULTS: We included and evaluated EEG reports from 157 patients (80 female; age: 1–75 years; median: 28 years). Fourteen features were reported exclusively in SCORE EEG, four were reported significantly more often in SCORE EEG than in free-text format, and six features were reported equally often in SCORE EEG and in free-text format. Usability aspects of SCORE EEG were highly rated by the referring physicians (median 6–7 on the 7-point Likert scale). CONCLUSIONS: The structured system of EEG reporting in SCORE EEG helped the experts reading clinical EEG to cover the important aspects and increase the quality of clinical EEG reports. SIGNIFICANCE: Implementing the freeware version of SCORE EEG in underprivileged areas will help improving management of patients with epilepsy.