Main description:

Aiming at building efficient radiology operations, this book walks the reader through the entire radiology workflow, from the moment that the examination is requested to the reporting of findings. Using their practical experience, the authors draw attention to the many elements that can go wrong at each step, and explain how critical analysis and objective metrics can be used to fix broken processes. Readers will learn how to measure the efficiency of their workflows, where to find relevant data, and how to use it in the most productive ways. The book also addresses how data can be turned into insightful operational information to produce organizational change.
All aspects of radiology operations are considered including ordering, scheduling, protocols, checking-in, image acquisition, image interpretation, communication, and billing. The closing section provides a deeper dive into the advanced tools and techniques that are used to analyze operations, including queuing theory, process mining and artificial intelligence.

Contents:

Preface From the authors

From the industry guru

Part I: Data and Sense

1. A word about numbers

2. Data sources and data problems in radiology

3. Mining your workflow: What's going on?

4. Driving your workflow: Goals and metrics

Part II: Optimizing radiology workflow

5. Ordering

6. Scheduling

7. Protocols

8. Checking-in

9. Image acquisition

a. Examination duration

b. Performing the examination

c. Handling the images

10. Interpretation

11 . Communication

12. Billing

Part III: Strategies and challenges

13. Utilization and limits of efficiency

1 4. Decision making

15 . Implementation challenges

16. Efficiency for the patients

17. Conclusions