Continuous quality improvement at work in radiology

The performance of a system depends on how its parts fit together. A radiology department is such a system. When doctors complain to administrators about the time it takes to get test results, the system isn't performing well. Use of the continuous quality improvement (CQI) process helps analyze the system, identify problems and fix them. At Sentara Norfolk General Hospital one year ago, an average 72.5 hours elapsed between the time a radiological examination was completed and a written report delivered. Today, that time is 11.3 hours, and still improving. This article describes Sentara Health System's CQI process and how it worked for radiology.