PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Fener

Publications and source records attributed to E Fener.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Expediting the turnaround of radiology reports in a teaching hospital setting.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether total quality management (TQM) techniques that had proved successful in a pilot study in one departmental section of a teaching hospital could be generalized for use by the entire radiology department. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Each departmental section developed interventions to improve its report turnaround time. These interventions were tailored to practice style and habits of each section. Commonly used interventions included electronic signature from the radiologist's home, a report-signing buddy system, elimination of a trainee signature requirement, accelerated transcription, structured reports, faster film delivery to reading desks, and training about the importance of radiology reports for clinical decision making. Specialized programs included computerized form-driven reporting and reports generated directly by computer voice recognition of radiologists' dictation. Our radiology information system provided data on each step in the reporting process. RESULTS: The TQM approach produced significant improvements in departmental total report turnaround time (-55%; p = .001), transcription time (-80%; p = .003), and signature time (-68%; p = .0004). Each section achieved significant gains. The sonography section initiated a computerized, form-driven reporting system and outperformed the rest of the department. CONCLUSIONS: TQM techniques can be expanded and generalized for department-wide projects in teaching hospitals.

Communication↗
PubMed1994

Expediting the turnaround of radiology reports: use of total quality management to facilitate radiologists' report signing.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether total quality management techniques could be used to speed radiologists' performance on the task of signing reports. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Total quality management represents a group of tools that can be used to improve the functioning of complex processes in the workplace. The steps involved in our total quality management project were as follows: (1) commit to improving radiologists' performance, (2) commission an interdisciplinary study team, (3) propose hypotheses for the causes of signing delays, (4) identify the key issues constraining performance (Pareto analysis), (5) intervene to correct systematic problems in a test system, (6) evaluate the results of intervention on radiologists' report signing performance, and (7) hold the gains achieved by the intervention. An interdisciplinary study team identified five key obstacles to prompt signing of reports: (1) radiologists' absence from the department when reports were available for signing (e.g., nights and weekends), (2) dysfunctional hand-off between transcriptionist and radiologist, (3) requirement that a fellow or resident sign before a staff radiologist, (4) lack of a system for signing by proxy (if primary radiologist is away), (5) perceived lack of impact of signed report on clinical decision making. RESULTS: Interventions included (1) providing home computer terminals, (2) implementing a buddy system for proxy signing, (3) eliminating the requirement for a signature from a fellow or resident, (4) teaming groups of radiologists with specific transcriptionists, and (5) streamlining transcription service. When these enhancements were used in a test system, the mean time required to sign reports decreased 59% from 26.0 +/- 8.4 hr (mean +/- standard error) in the baseline period to 10.6 +/- 2.9 hr (in the enhanced period, p = .05). CONCLUSION: We conclude that total quality management methods can accelerate radiologists' signing of reports.

Authorship↗