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Biomedical subjects

Khan M Siddiqui

Publications and source records attributed to Khan M Siddiqui.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Multi-institutional analysis of computed and direct radiography: part I. Technologist productivity.

PURPOSE: To assess whether it is feasible to measure and compare work-flow times across institutional variations, and to apply such a comparison to technologist productivity in the performance of general radiographic examinations with computed radiography (CR) and direct radiography (DR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study received internal review board exemption. Participants were informed about the study and willingly participated. Observational time-motion analyses were performed at four sites at which CR and DR are used concurrently. The time taken by the technologist for patient preparation, positioning, exposure, and postacquisition processing, and for the examination as a whole, was recorded. Data collected reflect unique elements at each clinical center, and no standardized work flow was imposed. Work-flow performance times were correlated with each site profile. Preliminary statistical analyses included examination of distributions of original and combined variables. Descriptive statistics were presented as means or frequencies, depending on whether the data were continuous or categorical. Continuous variables were compared by using the Student t test. Timing differences between CR and DR for each clinical center were compared, and all data were analyzed by using commercially available statistical software. RESULTS: For all four study sites, statistically significant total examination time differences were observed when comparing CR and DR (P < .001). The single step in the examination that was found to be the largest contributor to time difference was postacquisition processing, which accounted for 30%-100% of the total time difference between the two technologies. The most time-efficient sites were those that had in-room postacquisition processing capability and fully functional integration with the radiology information system. Investigators at two study sites compared times for two-view chest radiography only, and those at the other two study sites compared times for multiview general radiographic examinations. Only the results of two-view comparisons were reported for each site. CONCLUSION: Overall technologist time was significantly shorter when performing tasks associated with DR than when performing comparable tasks associated with CR, a difference that appears to result largely from technology configuration, staffing, and patient management.

Efficiency↗
PubMed2005

Multi-institutional analysis of computed and direct radiography: part II. Economic analysis.

PURPOSE: To compare economic aspects of equipment configurations, productivity levels, and patient waiting times in the performance of computed radiography (CR) and direct radiography (DR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study received internal review board exemption status, without the need for informed patient consent. Data from four study sites were used to calculate the CR-DR crossover point (defined as the point at which the cost-effectiveness of DR equals that of CR) and CR-DR annual cost differentials. Analyzed variables included equipment and operating costs, examination volumes, and productivity. A program was developed to simulate patient arrival times, number of patient examinations, and patient waiting times on the basis of average annualized parameters for each of the four clinics. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess utilization rates and determine cost optimization. Utilization rates were compared with the number of excess long-stay CR patients (ie, patients who spent more than 30 minutes waiting in the radiology department prior to CR examination) and with the cost (per excess long-stay CR patient who waited more than 60 minutes) averted by using DR. RESULTS: Excess annual costs for DR over CR at the four sites ranged from $50,757 to $75,303. At extrapolated levels of economic penalties for long waiting times, the crossover point at which the DR cost became justifiable was when CR capacity utilization rates approached or exceeded 80%. CONCLUSION: In the current practice environment, with capacity utilization rates well below 80%, CR is likely to be a more cost-effective technology for the majority of general radiography providers.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed2004

Traumatic dissection of the internal carotid artery.

We present the case of an 11-year-old male who had a dissection of his left internal carotid artery following a rather innocuous mechanism of injury. Although this phenomenon is documented in the medical literature, it remains a relatively rare event following blunt injury to the head and neck (0.3% occurrence rate in 1 study spanning 7 years). (Despite its rarity, it remains an important cause of cerebrovascular accidents in children. 2) Children presenting with gross neurologic abnormalities following blunt trauma to the head or neck should be considered to have sustained injury to the carotid arteries until proven otherwise.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2002

Nuclear cardiology patient tracking using a palm-based device: methods and clinician satisfaction.

Handheld personal computers are popular, easy to use, inexpensive, portable, and can share data among different operating systems. In our institution, nuclear cardiology testing is performed in the nuclear medicine department and jointly reported by radiologists and cardiologists. The objective of this article is to describe a system for recording nuclear cardiology data and to assess clinician satisfaction using handheld computers with the Palm Operating System. We devised a Palm-based relational database/ using commercially available software (HanDBase) that requires minimal computer expertise to implement and maintain. Data are collected by the cardiologist and synchronized to a single central relational database compatible with Microsoft Access. We assessed cardiologists' satisfaction with this system. Cardiologists unanimously agreed that this system had a positive impact on patient management and cardiology fellow education. They were satisfied with ease of data input, sharing, retrieval, and clarity of data display. The cardiologist with the least experience in using the software took longer to input data and thought that it prolonged the nuclear cardiology rounds. The idea to develop this software was to ease data entry using shortcuts and lists, limiting data stored to that essential for patient management and also to transmit data easily between staff. The cardiologist with the most experience in using the software felt more comfortable and satisfied with it. This was perhaps due to his continuous involvement in the development of this system. Like any new system, there is a learning curve in using this software. The software was easy to customize, and support and tutorials were found on the manufacturer's Web site. The system of collecting data using handheld computers with the Palm Operating System is easy to use, relatively inexpensive, accurate, and secure. The user-friendly system provides prompt, complete, and accurate data, enhancing the education of fellows while facilitating the job of cardiologists.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗