Health Imaging & IT - December 2008 - (Page 20)

Workflow Strategies & Advanced Visualization “The use of the radiologic technologist is an obvious solution with the caveat that any technologist who is spending time on 3D is not spending time scanning,” he notes. “Consider using technical assistants to do the bulk of the standard 3D imaging required of the average study. Proper training and oversight provides an excellent option for more efficient and economical staffing that provides benefits for all professionals in a practice.” Garcia’s 3D lab is staffed entirely by technical assistants who he supervises. He is responsible for providing their education and maintaining the standards of the practice. In turn, he is supervised by a radiologist who monitors the lab’s output to ensure quality control. “Whatever scenario you choose for advanced visualization deployment, a dedicated 3D lab is a good way to give your practice a cutting edge in a highly competitive market,” he states. Looking beyond radiology Diagnostic imaging clinicians outside radiology also have adopted the technology, and report that its utilization has resulted in speedier workflow throughput—as well as bolstered practice referrals. The implementation of advanced visualization at the Minneapolis Heart Institute in Minneapolis was driven by an uptick in CCTA studies. “Our coronary CT angiography service line really started to take off once we got high-speed multidetector CT systems,” says Robert S. Schwartz, MD, a cardiologist with the practice. “We simply could not handle the huge amount of interpretative data being put out by these systems in an efficient manner. The workload we would have had by not having advanced visualization technology in place would have been simply staggering.” Prior to the deployment of advanced visualization tools in the practice, the interpretation time for a CCTA procedure was anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes per exam. 20 Health Imaging & IT | December 2008 “Since we’ve deployed our advanced visualization system, our read time has dropped down to 3 or 4 minutes for the more straightforward exams,” he says. “More complex exams, of course, take a little longer.” An additional benefit of the technology has been the ability of the cardiologists to consult more efficiently and effectively with their referring clinician base. “Because of the efficiency of the software, we’re able to be doing something else, put it aside, and pull up a 3D image and review it with a clinical colleague in a very short space of time; we’re quickly able to demonstrate the exact results of an exam,” Schwartz says. Referrals to the practice also have increased since the addition of advanced visualization tools. “We’re seeing more referrals since we adopted the technology; we’re able to send the reconstructions over the network or burn a CD that a referrer can take with them,” Schwartz says. Michael Ridner, MD, a cardiologist at the Heart Center in Huntsville, Ala., and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in that city, also has found the addition of advanced visualization technology to be a boon to his practice’s workflow and throughput. “What it has allowed to provide is network-wide visualization of cardiac CT angiograms, at any site, in any location,” he says. “This permits the cardiologists in our practice to work on these exams anywhere, including at home. In addition, we’re able to share our 3D reconstructions in our consultations with our referring physicians, as well as with the patients.” The technology has paid unexpected dividends in the Heart Center’s affiliation with local hospitals. He notes that the cornerstone of the advanced visualization software is for diagnostic purposes in the practice, but it has expanded its capabilities well beyond that primary utilization. “In the ER, we’re able to perform a recon- struction in the department and make a decision as to whether a patient should be admitted or released, which vastly expedites the workflow in that department for patients presenting with chest pain,” Ridner says. Other clinical departments in their hospital client base also have sought access to the technology, with very positive results. “It’s also shown great benefit for our cardiothoracic surgeons, where we’ve had a large screen display installed in the operating theaters for their use,” he says. “The surgeon can call up the 3D image in real time and use it to determine anatomy in order to better guide their surgical intervention.” To demonstrate the capabilities of advanced visualization technology, Ridner and his partners at the Heart Center offered their entire referring clinician base the opportunity to have a no-cost CT heart scan conducted. They then performed 3D reconstructions and met with the physicians one-on-one to show them the images and discuss the results. “We had over 300 doctors take advantage of this opportunity,” he says. “What happened is that when they saw the results, they were sold for life.” If you’re interested in learning more about the options available for advanced visualization technology implementation and deployment, please visit our Healthcare TechGuide at www.healthcaretechguide.com. You’ll find company listings, specifications, accessories, white papers and services available from a host of major advanced visualization developers. HealthImaging.com http://www.healthcaretechguide.com http://www.HealthImaging.com

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

Health Imaging & IT - December 2008 Table of Contents The Enterprise News Update Technology at Work: What You Need to Compete Why 1.5T MRI is Leading the Pack Workflow Strategies Aid Advanced Visualization Deployment Illuminating Reading Room Design for Better Reading Strategies Cardiac SPECT Sharpens its Focus OrthoPACS: The Information Backbone of the Orthopedic Clinic Imaging Tools Reader's Resource

Health Imaging & IT - December 2008

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