CopilotCAD: Empowering Radiologists with Report Completion Models and Quantitative Evidence from Medical Image Foundation Models

Computer-aided diagnosis systems hold great promise to aid radiologists and clinicians in radiological clinical practice and enhance diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. However, the conventional systems primarily focus on delivering diagnostic results through text report generation or medical image classification, positioning them as standalone decision-makers rather than helpers and ignoring radiologists' expertise. This study introduces an innovative paradigm to create an assistive co-pilot system for empowering radiologists by leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) and medical image analysis tools. Specifically, we develop a collaborative framework to integrate LLMs and quantitative medical image analysis results generated by foundation models with radiologists in the loop, achieving efficient and safe generation of radiology reports and effective utilization of computational power of AI and the expertise of medical professionals. This approach empowers radiologists to generate more precise and detailed diagnostic reports, enhancing patient outcomes while reducing the burnout of clinicians. Our methodology underscores the potential of AI as a supportive tool in medical diagnostics, promoting a harmonious integration of technology and human expertise to advance the field of radiology.