Assessing Productivity Helps Radiology Department Improve

Researchers working in a radiology department at a midsized hospital were able to increase productivity and improve efficiency by devising a simple method for measuring general technologist productivity.

The study's findings were published in the October 2010 issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR). "Improving productivity and maintaining team spirit are often competing priorities that may be difficult to achieve simultaneously,” stated C. Daniel Johnson, M.D., coauthor of the study. "In an era of cost reductions, radiology departments need to be able to quantify technologist productivity and improve operational efficiency without sacrificing patient safety or care,” said Dr. Johnson.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic (Phoenix, AZ, USA) measured the median time needed to perform the 13 most common imaging examinations performed at their institution. Performance of the various examinations was tracked and multiplied by the time allocated per procedure; this measure was divided by the length of work shift to determine productivity. Productivity measures were shared among the work group, and decisions to improve productivity (e.g., whether to fill open positions) were made by group members.

"We calculated the average time spent per examination. At baseline (February 2008), group productivity was 50%. Productivity increased during the first year of monitoring and it was sustained throughout November 2009 (productivity range, 57-63%). Yearly savings from not filling open positions were estimated to be [US]$174,000,” commented Dr. Johnson.

"Productivity in a general radiology work area can be measured. Consensus among our work group helped increase productivity and assess progress. This methodology, if widely adopted, could be standardized and used to compare productivity across departments and institutions,” concluded Dr. Johnson.

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