Identifying radiological needs of referring clinicians

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Medical Imaging
• Health Services Research
• Customer Experience Management

Background:

• Clinician satisfaction and product quality in radiology are vital for effective healthcare delivery.
• Understanding clinician requirements is essential for improving radiology services.
• The Kano model offers a framework for prioritizing customer needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply the Kano model to identify and prioritize clinician requirements for computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and report turnaround time (RTT).
• To provide prospective insights into quality- and satisfaction-related product features in radiology.
• To analyze differences in requirements based on clinic and clinician type (staff vs. resident).

Main Methods:

• Developed and administered a Kano questionnaire assessing 13 clinician requirements for CT, MRI, and RTT.
• Categorized requirements into 'must-be,' 'one-dimensional,' and 'attractive' using Kano analysis.
• Calculated satisfaction and dissatisfaction coefficients and presented findings in a Kano diagram.
• Stratified data by clinic and clinician type (staff/resident).

Main Results:

• CT/MRI access within 24 hours and RTT within 8-24 hours were identified as 'must-be' requirements.
• Specific CT/MRI access times (e.g., CT within 4/8h, MRI within 8/24h) and RTT within 4h were 'one-dimensional' requirements.
• Extended operating hours for CT/MRI and faster MRI access were 'attractive' requirements.
• Eight of nine clinics prioritized RTT within 8 hours as 'must-be'.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully applied the Kano model to radiology, revealing distinct clinician priorities for CT, MRI, and RTT.
• Must-be requirements for timely access and reporting are critical for clinician satisfaction.
• Significant variations in requirements exist among different clinics and between staff and resident clinicians, necessitating tailored service improvements.