Design, Implementation, and Assessment of a Radiology Workflow Management System

Abstract

There is room for improvement in radiology workflow even in departments with integrated RIS-PACS and speech-recognition systems. This study has shown that software tools that coordinate decentralized workflow and dynamically balance workloads can increase the efficiency and efficacy of radiologists. Operational benefits, such as reduced reading times, improvements in the timeliness of care (both actual and as perceived by patients), and reduced interruptions to radiologists, further reinforce the benefits of such a system. Secondary benefits, such as documenting communication about a case and facilitating review of results, can also promote more timely and effective care. Although use of the system did not result in a substantial improvement in staff perceptions, neither did it reduce their satisfaction, suggesting that these operational improvements were not achieved as a trade-off against the quality of the work environment.