How much can abbreviated protocols for breast MRI increase patient throughput? a multi-centric evaluation.

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Medical Imaging
• Healthcare Operations Management
• Diagnostic Imaging Efficiency

Background:

• Abbreviated breast MRI protocols are being explored to improve efficiency.
• Understanding non-scanning time is crucial for assessing protocol effectiveness.
• Patient throughput is a key metric in healthcare service delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of abbreviated breast MRI protocols on patient throughput.
• To analyze the contribution of non-scanning time components (Table Switch Time, Planning Time) to Total Exam Time.
• To compare protocol efficiency in hospital versus out-of-hospital settings.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 143 breast MRI exams across four sites (hospital, 3 radiology centers).
• Comparison of four protocols: full diagnostic, split dynamic, and two abbreviated protocols.
• Measurement of Total Exam Time (TET), Table Time (TT), Scan Time (ST), Table Switch Time (TST), and Planning Time (PT).
• Calculation of potential scans and exams per hour.

Main Results:

• Non-scanning time constituted 50-74% of TET in abbreviated protocols, with TST (46%) and PT (28%) being major contributors.
• Potential scans per hour increased significantly (4.7 to 18.8), but potential exams per hour showed a smaller increase (2.3 to 5.1).
• Hospital settings showed longer absolute PT and TT, and shorter relative TST compared to out-of-hospital settings, with minimal differences in absolute TST and TET.

Conclusions:

• Table Switch Time and Planning Time significantly impact Total Exam Time, challenging the throughput benefits of abbreviated breast MRI protocols.
• The effectiveness of abbreviated protocols for enhancing patient throughput is limited by these non-scanning time components.
• Differences between in- and out-of-hospital settings had a minor influence on exam efficiency.