Subspecialized radiology reporting: productivity and impact on the turnaround times for radiology reports in a middle-income country.

Nupur Verma,Matheus Zanon,Bruno Hochhegger,Gabriel Sartori Pacini,Juliana Pastorino Torrada,Tan-Lucien Mohammed,Edson Marchiori,Diogo Martins De Oliveira

doi:10.1590/0100-3984.2019.0089

Abstract

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect that transitioning from a model of general radiology reporting to one of subspecialized radiology reporting has on report turnaround times (TATs) and on productivity in the radiology department of a hospital in a middle-income country.Materials and MethodsThe reporting workflow in our radiology department was changed from general reporting (any radiologist reporting imaging studies for any specialty) to subspecialized reporting (radiologists exclusively reporting imaging studies that fall within their subspecialty-abdominal, musculoskeletal, cardiothoracic, emergency, or neurological imaging). This was a retrospective study in which we compared general reporting with subspecialized reporting in terms of the following variables: the TAT; the proportions of reports completed within 2 h and within 24 h (TAT-2h and TAT- 24 h, respectively); and productivity. Data were collected over two 24-month periods (2015-2016 for general reporting and 2017-2018 for subspecialized reporting).ResultsA total of 208,516 reports were generated. The median report TAT decreased from 49.1 h and 52.9 h in 2015 and 2016, respectively, to 16.1 h and 15.2 h in 2017 and 2018, respectively (p < 0.001). The TAT-2h also improved, increasing from 8.7% and 7.9% in 2015 and 2016, respectively, to 52.0% and 61.3% in 2017 and 2018, respectively (p < 0.001), as did the TAT- 24 h, which increased from 12.1% and 14.1% in 2015 and 2016, respectively, to 74.3% and 78.7% in 2017 and 2018, respectively (p < 0.001). Between the two periods, the total number of scans performed increased by 33% (p = 0.001).ConclusionThe implementation of a subspecialized reporting system significantly improved the median TAT for radiology reports, as well as increasing the TAT-2h and TAT- 24 h, during a time of increased productivity.

Highlights

The exponential rise in the number of imaging examinations over the past three decades has challenged radiology departments to improve operations to achieve efficient output of reports
This was a retrospective study in which we compared general reporting with subspecialized reporting in terms of the following variables: the turnaround times (TATs); the proportions of reports completed within 2 h and within 24 h (TAT-2h and TAT- 24 h, respectively); and productivity
That corresponds to a 26.32% increase in the number of reports after the implementation of the subspecialized reporting system

Summary

Introduction

The exponential rise in the number of imaging examinations over the past three decades has challenged radiology departments to improve operations to achieve efficient output of reports. In the radiology department, improving the turnaround time (TAT) of radiology reports is crucial because of the increasing demand for precision and for specific examinations in all clinical settings. These growing demands on radiology services highlight the need to shorten the TAT in order to maintain a satisfactory level of productivity and to facilitate prompt patient care[1]. The benefits of a short TAT include an overall reduction in healthcare costs due to several factors Such factors include shorter hospital stays, lower costs, and faster implementation of treatment[2]. More efficient production of radiology reports in outpatient settings could lead to a decrease in hospital admissions and could improve prognoses by facilitating early diagnosis[2,4]

Methods

Results

Conclusion