Abstract
This article presents our local experience in the implementation of a real-time web-based system for reporting and tracking quality issues relating to abdominal imaging examinations. This system allows radiologists to electronically submit examination quality issues during clinical readouts. The submitted information is e-mailed to a designate for the given modality for further follow-up; the designate may subsequently enter text describing their response or action taken, which is e-mailed back to the radiologist. Review of 558 entries over a 6-year period demonstrated documentation of a broad range of examination quality issues, including specific issues relating to protocol deviation, post-processing errors, positioning errors, artifacts, and IT concerns. The most common issues varied among US, CT, MRI, radiography, and fluoroscopy. In addition, the most common issues resulting in a patient recall for repeat imaging (generally related to protocol deviation in MRI and US) were identified. In addition to submitting quality problems, radiologists also commonly used the tool to provide recognition of a well-performed examination. An electronic log of actions taken in response to radiologists’ submissions indicated that both positive and negative feedback were commonly communicated to the performing technologist. Information generated using the tool can be used to guide subsequent quality improvement initiatives within a practice, including continued protocol standardization as well as education of technologists in the optimization of abdominal imaging examinations.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
McGinty GB, Allen B Jr, Geis JR, Wald C (2014) IT infrastructure in the era of imaging 3.0. J Am Coll Radiol 11(12 Pt B):1197–1204. doi:10.1016/j.jacr.2014.09.005
Norbash A, Bluth E, Lee CI, et al. (2014) Radiologist manpower considerations and imaging 3.0: effort planning for value-based imaging. J Am Coll Radiol 11(10):953–958. doi:10.1016/j.jacr.2014.05.022
Czuczman GJ, Pomerantz SR, Alkasab TK, Huang AJ (2013) Using a web-based image quality assurance reporting system to improve image quality. Am J Roentgenol 201(2):361–368. doi:10.2214/AJR.12.10292
Nagy PG, Pierce B, Otto M, Safdar NM (2008) Quality control management and communication between radiologists and technologists. J Am Coll Radiol 5(6):759–765. doi:10.1016/j.jacr.2008.01.013
McNamee M, Smith J (2014) Research essentials. Nurs Child Young People 26(9):12. doi:10.7748/ncyp.26.9.12.s14
Corn JB (2009) Six sigma in health care. Radiol Technol 81(1):92–95
Gottumukkala R, Street M, Fitzpatrick M, Tatineny P, Duncan JR (2012) Improving team performance during the preprocedure time-out in pediatric interventional radiology. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety/Joint Commission Resources 38(9):387–394
Conflicts of interest
The authors declare that they have no disclosures related to the work under consideration or outside of the submitted work.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rosenkrantz, A.B., Johnson, E. & Sanger, J.J. Use of a web-based image reporting and tracking system for assessing abdominal imaging examination quality issues in a single practice. Abdom Imaging 40, 3354–3358 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-015-0502-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-015-0502-0