Health Imaging & IT - April 2008 - (Page 26)

eRgonomics & design By Amy Buttell Crane The Reading Doing It Your Way Room When it comes to reading rooms, perfection exists in the convergence of science and personal preference. Many factors, such as the distance from your eye to the monitors, aren’t in dispute; for others, such as the type of chair, ideal room temperature and reading position are personal to individual radiologists. An environment that merges essential ergonomics with individual needs creates the perfect reading room with more comfortable, less stressed, more productive radiologists. PerfeCT The convergence of science and personal preference creates a dilemma, especially for large radiology groups that want to capitalize on cutting-edge research that establishes a connection between improved reading room design and higher productivity when designing a reading room, but who also don’t want to get caught up signing blank checks to personalize every aspect of the reading room for physicians with widely differing preferences. The answer? A carefully crafted mixture of scientifically tested qualities designed to appeal to the broadest range of radiologists possible, coupled with a mixture of features that allow each radiologist to customize his or her environment to his or her individual needs. “Many factors combined make for an optimal reading room where radiologists are less stressed and happier at work, leading to improved productivity for a relatively tiny investment,” says Eliot Siegel, professor and vice chairman of the Diagnostic Radiology Department at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of imaging for the VA Medical Healthcare System in Baltimore, Md., and well-known reading room researcher. “The typical view of radiologists at hospitals is that they are already pampered, so they see the addition of better ventilation and lighting controls as well as high-tech chairs and adjustable desks as frills,” Siegel continues. “But when the stoicism typical of many in medicine interferes with making these adjustments, it is to the detriment of the patients and the health of the radiologists.” Radiologists who work in poor environments tend to have more eye strain, a higher level of repetitive stress injuries, poor job satisfaction and lower productivity than radiologists who work in optimal reading room environments. Mark Herbst, MD, PhD, president of St. Healthimaging.com 26 Health Imaging & IT | april 2008 http://Healthimaging.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Health Imaging & IT - April 2008

Health Imaging & IT - April 2008 Contents On the Web The Enterprise News Update Cracking Down: CT Radiation Dose 3D Rendering: Options Galore Thinking Thin-Client Modality Review Ergonomics & Design Special Section: Storage Strategies Imaging Tools Technology Outlook People & Technology Technology Review IT Trends Reader's Resource Stat Sheet

Health Imaging & IT - April 2008

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