Rescheduling Nonurgent Care in Radiology: Implementation During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Pandemic Response
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitated significant changes in hospital operations.
• Recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) advised delaying nonemergent tests and elective procedures.
• Tertiary academic institutions faced challenges in adapting to these new guidelines while maintaining patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the experience of rescheduling nonemergent imaging and procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To analyze the impact of these rescheduling efforts on imaging volumes at a tertiary academic institution.

Main Methods:

• Nonemergent imaging and procedures were rescheduled between March 16 and May 4, 2020.
• A tiered priority system was implemented to identify patients for whom delays would have minimal clinical impact.
• Radiologists conducted detailed chart reviews, and daily virtual huddles were held to discuss strategies and track issues.

Main Results:

• A 53.4% decrease in overall imaging volume was observed from March 16 to April 15, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019.
• Total imaging studies dropped from 38,369 in 2019 to 17,891 in 2020.
• Significant reductions were noted across all settings: outpatient (72.3%), inpatient (40.5%), and emergency department (48.9%).

Conclusions:

• Effective communication across multiple channels was vital for informing stakeholders, including patients, referring physicians, and the radiology workforce.
• Teamwork, rapid adoption of new strategies, and adaptability were essential for navigating the dynamic pandemic situation.