Radiology report turnaround time: effect on resident education

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• The implementation of a 1-hour report turnaround time (TAT) for Emergency Department (ED) studies is a common practice in radiology departments.
• Assessing the impact of this TAT on resident workload and educational experience is crucial for optimizing training programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare resident workload in ED studies before and after a 1-hour TAT policy.
• To evaluate resident and faculty perceptions of the TAT's effect on resident education.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective comparison of resident study volume in ED cases over 3 years pre-TAT and 1 year post-TAT.
• Analysis of workload changes across radiology divisions (body, MSK, chest, neuro) and shifts (daytime, overnight).
• Online surveys administered to residents and faculty at two institutions to gauge perceived educational impact.

Main Results:

• Significant decreases in resident involvement were observed in MSK (89% to 66%), chest (88% to 68%), and neuro (82% to 51%) ED studies post-TAT (P < .05).
• Resident involvement in body imaging ED studies showed a mild decrease (87% to 80%, P < .1).
• Daytime resident involvement significantly decreased (P = .01), while overnight involvement did not (P = .1). Residents trained before and after the TAT, and faculty, reported negative educational impacts.

Conclusions:

• A 1-hour TAT policy leads to reduced resident exposure to ED studies.
• While current residents report no significant educational detriment, those with experience pre- and post-TAT, along with faculty, perceive a negative impact on teaching and education quality.