Abstract
BackgroundThe status of radiology exams impacts the flow of patients through the emergency department (ED). Yet, this information is not readily available to ED physicians, nurses, and staff (ED staff) or patients. PurposeTo improve ED workflow by providing real-time information about the status of radiology reports to ED staff. Materials and MethodsA dashboard displaying real-time information on the status of pending radiology exams as extracted from the electronic medical record and radiology information system was developed for display in the ED. An algorithm based on historical trends was developed for predicting expected turn-around times. Focus groups, surveys, and dashboard usage data were used to gather feedback and understand utility. ResultsThe ED-Radiology dashboard was successfully deployed to four EDs within the health system. The dashboard received an average of 9397 unique views per week the first year and 802 views per week in the following 2 years post deployment. Most exams had turnaround times (TAT) better than the estimated time and fewer than 1% had a TAT greater than 2 hours from the estimated time. No differences were found between pre and post survey opinion results. ConclusionA web-based dashboard that displays radiology imaging study status is a low-cost, high-yield method for improving communication between radiology and ED staff.
Published Version
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