[The quality offensive in radiology]

The Institute of Diagnostic Radiology at the Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf has recently defined and implemented more than thirty organizational changes as a result of a quality control project. The aim was to improve quality and efficiency of the Radiology service. The project was carried out in cooperation with an external consulting firm. To date the positive impact of this project on our work has been so profound that we would like to communicate some of the results in form of this report. During the first phase of the project quality circles were formed to define the various quality criteria and aims of a good service. Today these represent the core of a new quality policy for the Institute. In a second phase all members of staff cooperatively developed precise plans of action for implementation of the necessary changes. Main achievements are the reduction of organizational and communicational deficits obstructing the work process, enhancement of interaction between junior and senior medical staff, upgrading of the role and field of action of the radiography staff and last but not least improvements of cooperation between secretarial and medical staff.