Healthcare Imaging & IT - July 2008 - (Page 15)

eslie Beidleman, regional PACS administrator for Mercy Health Partners in Toledo, Ohio, has been monitoring running processes, stored data and logged-in users for about two years using the Carestream Digital Dashboard. These are important metrics for an organization running and storing about 400,000 exams across three facilities annually. For example, Beidleman recently saw an escalation in the number of studies not backed up. By contacting Carestream technical support, she found out the exact nature of the problem. “I don’t know if I would have caught on so quickly without the dashboard.” And, of course the goal is to “catch something early— before any service is affected.” A simplified process is one of the biggest benefits for Beidleman. The tools let users pick and choose which tasks to add into the system. “I have the flexibility to add what I want, I’m not locked into a certain set of tasks that comes with the product.” Some of her tasks have made it easier to provide management with feedback on certain criteria. Plus, the simple interface lets others easily step in to monitor systems in her absence. Metrics let users display a modality and related data such as volume by hour and workflow patterns. Since Beidleman is responsible for three different facilities, the dashboard helps her effectively monitor image and data storage. “I can get a report on whether we are growing, declining or staying the same,” she says. That also helps with projecting future storage needs. “Having the capability to look at [data] drives and see how they are filling up lets me be much more proactive.” She could spend time compiling information, but the dashboard already provides interactive, graphed displays. L realized 10 to 15 percent growth each of the last several years. And, since putting the dashboard in place, the group lost one radiologist and managed increased volume without replacing him or extending hours—thanks to a 35 percent increase in efficiency. “The synergy of the whole system is where you get a lot of this efficiency.” Busch notes that a survey of referring physicians indicated that their biggest concerns were ease in scheduling exams and how fast they can get the reports. With a financial interest in some outpatient facilities, “we wanted to use our system as a market differentiator to boost the business. It’s been amazing for that.” Busch anticipates the release of more portals designed for each of the stakeholders in the imaging chain such as radiology administrators, PACS administrators and IT folks. “In a competitive market, that gives you an advantage. It definitely makes a big difference on anyone interacting with it.” The newest role-based portals expected later this summer will allow for snapshots of the enterprise and a look at key indicators most important to each specific user. With a role-based tool, “the goal is to get 90 percent of what you use right in front of you and the rest just one click away.” Jim Busch, MD, CEO, Specialty Networks, Diagnostic Radiology Consultants, Chattanooga, Tenn. The righT role Jim Busch, MD, CEO of Specialty Networks, the IT arm of Diagnostic Radiology Consultants, a 10-radiologist practice in Chattanooga, Tenn., uses Portal Radiologist from Siemens Medical Solutions. He likes the role-based design user interface that interacts with RIS, PACS and voice recognition. Since a RIS typically is designed for everybody who would interact with it, it includes features and functions for everyone from schedulers to technologists to administrative staff. Those details can be distracting for radiologists, he says. With a role-based tool, “the goal is to get 90 percent of what you use right in front of you and the rest just one click away.” By linking with the practice’s integrated RIS/PACS solution, the portal has helped the group streamline the entire interpretation process. Exams can be autoloaded or selected, it automatically launches speech recognition software, and offers default reports and virtual reading rooms. Report turn-around time has dropped from up to several days for subspecialty reports to just one hour, and about 15 minutes for STAT and ER reports. The practice is located in an area highly competitive in MRI, with seven magnets on the same stretch of road. The practice has HealthImaging.com Timely TesTing Jake Nunn, director of Metro Region Imaging Services for Aurora Health Care, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., has been using Blue Ocean from Exogen since last December. As a certified stroke center, Nunn has to carefully track critical test result reporting. For example, to comply with certification, head CT scans for stroke patients must be completed within 45 minutes of an order. The Blue Ocean real-time portal helps ensure that the test is happening in a timely manner. “If not, we can intervene to make them more timely.” If the test isn’t begun within 10 minutes of the order, the system offers an alert. If the study hasn’t begun within 20 minutes, the system provides a red alert. “A retrospective dashboard can’t do that for you,” says Nunn. “Instead of me looking at a retrospective report telling me I missed two of these last week, here I have a tool that helps me prevent them in the first place.” Nunn also appreciates Blue Ocean’s flexibility. “The way [the tool is] structured, it’s easy to meet the needs of different organizations. continued on page 18 July 2008 | Health Imaging & IT 15 http://HealthImaging.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Imaging & IT - July 2008

Healthcare Imaging & IT - July 2008 On the Web The Enterprise News Update Convention Spotlight: AHRA 2008 Cover Story: Driving Metrics to Drive Business: Digital Dashboards Deliver Mammography CAD Comes of Age Breast MR CAD: Earlier Detection, Increased Efficiency Lung CAD Earning a Spot in Day-to-Day Practice Colon CAD: Breaking Down Barriers Modality Review: Cardiac CT Angiography: A Clear Pathway to Better Cardiac Patient Management Practice Management: RIS Rights Efficiency & Productivity Wrongs In Practice: Advanced Visualization Across the Enterprise Regulatory Update: Beware: Recovery Audit Contractors Poised for Permanent Status Technology Outlook: Compressing Images for Remote Transmission Reader's Resource Stat Sheet

Healthcare Imaging & IT - July 2008

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