Health Imaging & IT - November 2008 - (Page 74)

PEOPLE & TECHNOLOGY By Lisa Fratt Although there is no magic bullet, a proactive approach that considers all systems and processes in the long-term serves many sites well. This month, a pair of breast centers share their workflow challenges and solutions. Beyond basics Optimum Efficiency & Beyond Mammography providers face intense pressure. The transition to digital imaging systems continues to gain traction, solving some issues and generating new challenges. Hybrid workflow and IT disconnects, for example, plague some digital providers. In addition, many sites continue to see a backlog of patients waiting for studies. Plus, breast imagers are in short supply, and margins are razor-thin. Finally, sites need to plan ahead. “Certification and insurability will be linked to quality data,” predicts William Smith, MD, director of breast imaging at University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. The one constant in breast imaging: centers need to squeeze every ounce of productivity out of their investments in imaging solutions, information systems and human resources. University of Kansas Medical Center is perched on the leading edge of high- quality breast imaging. Between 2001 and 2008, the center’s detection rate of stage 0 and stage 1 lumpectomy cures skyrocketed from 22 percent to 77 percent. Still, Smith strives for constant improvement. “We need outstanding, immediate feedback on our performance as mammographers.” Earlier this year, the center deployed Mammography Reporting System’s MRS tracking and reporting software for breast-related care and now taps into the system for basic efficiency gains and sophisticated practice improvements. MRS software provides immediate data on every radiologist’s callback rate and positive predictive value, helping the center pinpoint deviations and areas for improvement. For example, a positive predictive value under 10 percent likely indicates the radiologist calls too many patients for follow-up. Ready access to such data facilitates training and continuous quality improvement. What’s more, because the software automates data mining, a department manager is free for other duties. Instead of spending one day a week gathering data, she conducts QA, teaches technologists and focuses on practice improvement. At the radiologist level, the software incorporates a template system to reduce reporting time to the bare minimum. The efficiency gains travel downstream to referring clinicians, too. Every report adheres to a standard structure, so the clinicians know exactly where to find key information. “We are literally on the same page,” share Smith. The combination of increased efficiency and sophisticated data management fuels clinical and operational improvements. For example, if a clinic stops referring patients to the center, MRS demographic data detects the change, providing the information needed to proactively tackle the problem. Smith HealthImaging.com 74 Health Imaging & IT | November 2008 http://www.HealthImaging.com

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

Health Imaging & IT - November 2008 Table of Contents On the Web The Enterprise News Update RIS/PACS Speech PACS Peripherals Advanced Visualization CT DR & CR CAD Molecular Imaging MRI Ultrasound Healthcare IT Furniture reading Services Cardiac Imaging Data Storage & Archiving Displays Oncology Imaging 3T MRI Flexing its Muscle Breast Imaging Workflow: Optimum Efficiency & Beyond Enterprise Long-term Storage: Plan for the Worst, Hope for the Best LCD Monitors Sharpen Soft-copy Mammography Defining Lung CAD’s Role Digital Endoscopy: Challenges for Enterprise Imaging Reader's Resource On the Frontline: CT in the ED

Health Imaging & IT - November 2008

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