Turnaround times improve when stroke codes are prioritized

Wednesday, November 28 | 11:50 a.m.-12:00 p.m. | SSK07-09 | Room S405AB
Staten Island University Hospital is a designated stroke center, with high expectations to produce the fastest turnaround time possible. The radiology department has turned to informatics to reduce its reporting process time -- from when the exam is complete to delivery of the report -- from an average time of 10 to 12 minutes to about five minutes.

Dr. Conor Lowry, a third-year resident, will explain in this scientific session what the department did to maximize workflow. A special stroke pager alerts a designated radiologist to the head CT being ordered, and he or she is then telephoned by the radiologic technologist upon its completion. These notifications are augmented by a listing in the exams-to-be-read worklist that is displayed in gray to differentiate it from completed exams. As soon as the exam has been completed and is ready for interpretation, a flashing brain icon is displayed.

Also, as soon as the exam is ordered using a special stroke code, a countdown system is launched that monitors the progress of the exam. The system monitors the interval from the order to the beginning of the exam, from the beginning of the exam until its completion, and from the interpretation until the emergency department is notified and the call is logged into a critical test result management system. When delays are identified, alerts are sent to the technologist, the designated radiologist, or both.

Page 1 of 603
Next Page