Radiologist report turnaround time: impact of pay-for-performance measures

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Expedited radiologist report turnaround times (RTAT) are a critical indicator of healthcare quality.
• Measuring and improving RTAT is essential for efficient patient care and clinical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a radiologist pay-for-performance (PFP) program on reducing RTAT.
• To assess whether improvements in RTAT were sustained after the PFP program's termination.

Main Methods:

• A radiologist PFP program was implemented across 11 subspecialty divisions.
• RTAT was measured during three periods: baseline (before PFP), immediate (after PFP introduction), and post (2 years after PFP termination).
• Key metrics included examination completion (C) to final signature (F), C to preliminary signature (P), and P to F.

Main Results:

• A total of 99,959 (baseline), 104,673 (immediate), and 91,379 (post) reports were analyzed.
• Mean C-F, C-P, and P-F times significantly decreased across all periods (p < 0.0001), with the most substantial impact on the P-F component.
• Divisional RTAT also showed significant decreases, with minor exceptions in specific divisions and timeframes.

Conclusions:

• The radiologist PFP program demonstrated a significant positive effect on expediting final report turnaround times.
• The observed improvements in RTAT were sustained beyond the program's active duration.