[Workflow improvement and efficiency gain with near total digitalization of a radiology department]

To determine the temporal changes of the workflow caused by digitalization of the radiology department after installation of digital luminescence-radiography (DLR), a radiology information system (RIS) and picture archiving and communication system (PACS) at the Missionsärztliche Klinik in April 2000.

In a comparative study, a workflow analysis by manual registration of different work steps was performed before (1999) and after (2001) digitalization of a radiology department.

The digitalization shortened the examination time for patients from a mean of 8 min to 5 min. The time the patient is absent from the emergency room did not change. Reporting radiographic examinations including comparison with previous studies begins earlier from a mean of 2 h 37 min to 17 min. Using PACS, 85.9 % of all cases could be interpreted on the day of the examination (without PACS 41.2 %) and 87.2 % of the reports were completed the day after the examination (without PACS 64.5 %). No time differences were found between reading conventional studies on the monitor or as soft-copy.

Compared to conventional film-screen systems, complete digitalization of a radiology department is time saving at nearly all steps of the workflow, with expected positive effects on the workflow quality of the entire hospital.