Productivity evaluation of radiologists interpreting computed tomography scans using statistical process control...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Healthcare Management
• Statistical Process Control

Background:

• Radiology service managers require efficient methods to monitor productivity and enhance capacity.
• Assessing radiologist productivity can be achieved by measuring radiology reporting times (RRTs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a straightforward tool for monitoring radiologist performance over time using RRTs.
• To assess the stability and capability of the radiology reporting process.

Main Methods:

• Utilized control charts (CCs) to monitor RRTs for chest computed tomography (CT) scans.
• Analyzed 2862 CT exams over a 6-month period involving 10 radiologists.
• Calculated process capability using C_p and C_pk indices.

Main Results:

• Only 3 out of 10 radiologists had mean RRTs below the group average.
• Six radiologists showed performance improvement trends, while four showed declining trends.
• Group capability measures indicated an incapable process, with common cause variability being most frequent.

Conclusions:

• Control charts are a valuable tool for monitoring radiologist performance in CT scan interpretation.
• CCs can aid in decision-making, such as setting productivity goals based on historical data.
• The study highlights the utility of statistical process control in radiology for performance management.