What influences clinician's satisfaction with radiology services?

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Health Services Research
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) and teleradiology have altered traditional interactions between clinicians and radiology departments.
• Assessing factors influencing clinician satisfaction with contemporary radiology services is crucial for optimizing healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the key determinants of referring clinician satisfaction with modern radiology services.
• To understand the impact of technological advancements like PACS on clinician perceptions of radiology.

Main Methods:

• An internet-based survey was distributed to referring clinicians within a large hospital network.
• Response rate was 58% (183 out of 316 clinicians).

Main Results:

• 70% of respondents felt PACS improved reporting time, and 56% noted improved working patterns.
• Radiologist approachability was the sole factor significantly associated with increased clinician satisfaction (p < 0.001).
• Factors influencing the perceived value of radiology reports were identified; increased clinician confidence in own skills did not decrease report value.

Conclusions:

• An approachable radiology service is the primary driver of clinician satisfaction.
• PACS implementation positively impacted efficiency but did not diminish the perceived importance of radiology reports.