Lynn S. Broderick MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Linda A Sauer BS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jason P Fine, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of email reminders and email reporting of signature turnaround times on the turnaround time of signed radiology reports

Radiology reports were dictated using Dictaphone equipment and were transcribed and available for review and signature using Shared Medical Systems software program (Siemens). Using hospital information systems, automated email messages were sent to radiology faculty at approximately 0700 and 1630 hours each day indicating the number of exams in the radiologist's signature queue. Monthly reports were also sent by email to radiologists indicating their average signature turnaround time compared to others. Data were collected for all faculty. Part-time employees, and fellows and nurse practitioners practicing independently were excluded from analysis since they had low numbers of reports and long periods of inactivity. The median signature turnaround times were calculated for each full-time radiologist for 6 month periods. THe median was chosen since the distribution of turnaround imtes is very skewed. The mean of the medians in each period was calculated and tested for changes over calendar time using linear regression.

The mean of the median turnaround times during period 1 was 22.6 hours(SD of median turnaround times=28.7, average volume of reports per MD=2365, number of MDs=33). This mean of the median turnaround times decreased to 11.4 hours (SD of median turnaround times=12.0, average volume of reports per MD=2504, number of MDs=36) in period 4. A linear regression model was used to fit the median time using the time period as a covariate. The estimated coefficient for the time period was -3.76 (standard error of 1.65) giving a p-value of 0.02. Thus, there is a roughly 4 hour decrease in median time to signature over each 6 month period during the study and this change is statistically significant.

The use of email reminders and email reporting of signature turnaround time significantly reduces report signature turnaround time.

Broderick, L, Sauer, L, Fine, J, Improving Report Turnaround Time: Alternatives to Speech Recognition.  Radiological Society of North America 2004 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 28 - December 3, 2004 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2004/4405240.html