6 Innovations in Radiology Management That Will Transform Your Lab's Operations
The need for medical imaging has increased considerably in recent years, complicating radiological workflow. The COVID-19 pandemic has added to this strain, prompting radiology units to devise innovative approaches to improve their operational capacity, patient and staff experience, and ultimately, outcomes.
We present six cases that demonstrate how digitization, virtualization, and integration can help build a continuous, patient-centered radiological process to boost productivity and the standard of care.
1. Digital Scheduling Improves Patient Care and Helps Prevent No-Shows
It is a constant problem for radiology departments that people fail to show up for their scheduled visits. In some studies, the no-show rate can reach as high as 7%. When people miss their appointments, it can result in operational disruption, underutilization of staff and equipment, and potential costs of up to 1 million dollars. Patients themselves can also be affected, since any delay in diagnosis and treatment can have catastrophic consequences. This dilemma has become even more pressing since the emergence of COVID-19, with medical centers trying to find solutions to ease patients' fears and ensure they attend their radiology appointments safely.
Engaging with patients digitally before and after their visit is an effective way to involve them in their own care. Text messages tailored to each patient can be sent to remind them of upcoming appointments and provide links to safety protocols and other relevant information that may be useful to them. A digital COVID-19 screening will also be carried out in advance to identify which patients are fit and willing to receive treatment, while reducing the risk of exposure for both patients and healthcare staff.
Once patients arrive for their appointment, they can send a text message to check in. This eliminates the need for them to sit in the waiting room, allowing them to wait in the comfort of their home or even their vehicle. An alert is then sent to staff through the electronic health record system to let them know the patient has arrived. When staff are ready to see the patient, they can send a text message inviting them into the facility.
2. Workflow Automation Helps Staff Get Images Right the First Time
Radiologic technologists are tasked with producing the highest-quality scans without needing to repeat patient visits. Although the training and skill level of each staff member can influence the accuracy of results, the pace of work can be so demanding that technologists have no opportunity to build rapport with anxious patients. As a result, exams may need to be redone due to patient restlessness.
We surveyed radiology technologists to determine what would be most beneficial for them and found that 23% of their job responsibilities were redundant and could be automated. In response, we have developed smart workflow techniques designed to help technologists during their exams, making it easier to obtain and manage results with tools such as Eden Management.
3. Acquiring Images Virtually from a Central Command Center
Experienced technologists with deep knowledge of complex modalities such as MRI and CT scans are scarce at large diagnostic imaging clinics that offer services across multiple locations. In the past, these skilled staff had to travel to distant sites to assist less experienced colleagues. But now, they can provide real-time assistance to multiple sites while the patient is on the scanner table, without ever leaving their own facility.
Thanks to a novel form of telepresence in image capture, expert technologists can provide guidance, assistance, and instructions from a central location: the Radiology Operations Command Center. Having secure access to the virtual scanner allows these skilled users to help or instruct their colleagues at every location, improving consistency in image quality and standardization. This reduces errors.
4. Smart Workload Balancing to Prioritize Emergencies
In large radiology departments spanning multiple centers, which handle a continuous stream of diagnostic imaging cases with varying levels of urgency and specialization, assigning cases to the most suitable radiologists can be difficult. Smart algorithms that take into account a radiologist's area of specialization, current workload, and availability can help solve this problem by matching the right case to the right radiologist. This ensures a balanced workload, in which the most urgent cases are read by the specialized radiologist available at that moment.
For example, when someone is admitted to the emergency room with a sudden, severe headache and a CT scan confirms internal bleeding in the brain, that scan will be placed at the top of the on-duty neuroradiologist's worklist. While the patient undergoes the scan, the radiologist reviewing the image can connect virtually with other medical staff to evaluate the case in a secure digital space, giving the patient the best possible chance of being accurately diagnosed and properly treated.
This brings us to the next obstacle in the radiological process: providing the referring or attending physician with the data they need in a way that is easy to access and offers the correct medical perspective.
5. Interactive Reports Give Physicians a 360-Degree View
It has been 125 years since Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays, and the format of radiology reports has not changed much since then: it still relies on textual narrative to convey information to physicians and patients. But this is about to change, as radiology reports move toward the multimedia world we are accustomed to in our everyday lives. In oncology, where patients require long-term medical care, physicians need a complete, longitudinal view of radiology reports without having to search for previous reports and physically evaluate images. Thanks to interactive multimedia reports, radiologists can now incorporate essential images for side-by-side comparison, tumor progression data in tabular and graphical form, and advanced quantitative post-treatment data.
Healthcare providers can now click on embedded images to get a fuller picture of the report without having to leave it. One study showed that oncologists saved 8.9 minutes when assessing a patient's tumor using multimedia reports instead of text-only reports. In addition, multimedia reports provide the opportunity to evaluate a person's condition in greater detail, taking into account new clinical questions that could be relevant to their treatment.
We are creating a more effective way for radiologists to provide relevant information to referring physicians by giving them direct access to key images within the radiology report; this could even be taken a step further
6. Patient Data Integration Safeguards Clinical Collaboration
Cancer treatment involves a great deal of work, since it must be based on a range of details such as imaging test results, pathology records, molecular tests, and genetic profiles. Clinical teams have to make significant efforts to gather all this data from different departments in order to select and oversee treatment. This is where care teams often lose valuable time. To solve this problem, unified dashboards should be created that bring together all the data from the various departments, allowing teams to access the patient's complete profile at a glance and make treatment decisions during multidisciplinary tumor board meetings. These meetings can be held virtually or in person, making them efficient and convenient for everyone involved to review all the necessary information.
Finally: The Importance of Storing Radiological Images in the Cloud
Cloud storage of radiological images is becoming increasingly important in the healthcare industry. The cloud enables greater flexibility and accessibility for radiological images, improving the efficiency and quality of medical care.
The storage of radiological images in the cloud gives healthcare providers access to images anytime, anywhere, facilitating collaboration and diagnosis. This option is especially useful in emergencies or when the patient is in a remote location.
Cloud storage also strengthens security, as it complies with regulations that guarantee protection against loss, theft, or unauthorized access.
Finally, storing your images on a cloud platform, such as Eva PACS, gives you greater scalability and flexibility for large volumes of data, as is the case in hospitals and clinics.