Radiology workflow can be optimized by customizing patient arrival distribution, according to a presentation at the 2005 Society for Computer Applications in Radiology meeting.
Radiology workflow can be optimized by customizing patient arrival distribution, according to a presentation at the 2005 Society for Computer Applications in Radiology meeting.
While patient arrival distribution is often overlooked in efficiency or workflow analysis, it has a major impact on departmental performance, specifically on patient wait times, exam backlog, and overall throughput, said Dr. Bruce I. Reiner of the VA Maryland Health Care System.
Patient wait times could potentially be reduced by electively scheduling nonemergent exams, performing inpatient exams during underutilized time periods, and staggering technologist staffing levels during lunch breaks and shift changes, he said.
Queuing management can provide important insight into decision making as it relates to allocation of resources in both personnel and technology, Reiner said.
Currently, technologist supply and demand are out of balance, with demand outweighing the availability of trained personnel.
"Although the transition from film-based to filmless operation has led to improved technologist productivity, little attention has been paid to the effect of patient arrival rates on departmental workflow and productivity," Reiner said.
In an optimized workflow, 100% of a technologist's time would be spent on exam performance. To accomplish this, a continuous, steady stream of patient arrivals is required, a scenario that doesn't mesh with the reality of intermittent patient arrival.
The overall range in patient arrivals and patient backlog can be reduced through the use of quantitative analysis and improved scheduling for both patients and staff, according to Reiner.
"By better understanding queuing analysis and its impact on service delivery, more cost-efficient decisions can be made about personnel, technology implementation, and room allocation," he said.
Understanding of queuing requires analysis of a number of parameters: scheduling and prioritization of procedures, patient arrival distribution, desired level of service, examination times, and staffing allocation.
Reviewing weekly or monthly statistics can shed light on departmental utilization trends, allowing for appropriate adjustments in departmental staffing during episodic peaks and valleys in patient arrivals.
"At the same time, proactive measures can be implemented in scheduling to further improve departmental efficiency by targeting relatively slow arrival distribution times for elective scheduling of nonemergent exams," Reiner said.
Seven Takeaways from Meta-Analysis of PSMA Radiotracers for Prostate Cancer Imaging
December 1st 2023In a newly published meta-analysis of 24 studies, researchers noted that the PSMA PET radiotracer 18F PSMA-1007 may provide more benefit than 68Ga Ga-PSMA-11 for primary staging of patients with prostate cancer and detection of local lesion recurrence, but also has drawbacks with higher liver uptake and multiple reports of false positive bone lesions.
Study: Regular Mammography Screening Reduces Breast Cancer Mortality Risk by More than 70 Percent
November 30th 2023Consistent adherence to the five most recent mammography screenings prior to a breast cancer diagnosis reduced breast cancer death risk by 72 percent in comparison to women who did not have the mammography screening, according to new research findings presented at the annual Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference.
FDA Clears Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Platform for Non-Invasive Assessment of Brain Chemistry
November 29th 2023BrainSpec Core reportedly offers enhanced sensitivity for low-grade gliomas and may facilitate the diagnosis of conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy.