With the amount of medical imaging systems that can be operating within radiological facilities at a given time, radiologists lean on their IT departments to ensure that equipment runs smoothly and effectively. When breakdowns in communication occur, silos can rise between the two divisions of the hospital and lead to a poor work environment.
Adam Kaye, M.D., M.B.A., from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, recently spoke at the annual meeting of the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine and revealed findings from a survey given to professionals at his facility, HealthImaging reported. The questionnaire, completed by 95 radiologists and 14 members of the IT staff, showed that both departments had a lot to learn about one another.
The results indicated that the institution’s employees failed to comprehend each other’s workloads, leading to problems in professionalism around the facility. For example, radiologists estimated that there were roughly 87 workstations in the department, while IT staff guessed closer to 224. However, the largest gaps were present in estimates regarding the number of studies being read per day. The physicians submitted an average of 1,729, while IT’s mean was a little more than 1,110 interpretations.
These numbers show that communication is essential to the overall success of health systems. Following the initial survey, four IT members and four trainee radiologists shadowed a member of the other department for an hour to become familiar with their workflows. After completing this portion of the study, the participants took a follow-up survey that yielded much more positive results to the experience. The respondents had a better understanding of the issues their colleagues were handling, and some even helped their counterparts come up with project ideas to implement in the future.
Because radiologists rely on IT staff to facilitate the implementation of new PACS products and EHR software, the departments have to better coordinate communication among employees. Otherwise, practices could suffer from breakdowns in workflows and revenue cycles.
Making progress with EHRs
The recent study published in Health Affairs magazine, regarding EHR use by radiologists in emergency departments, underscores the importance of communication in the medical setting. Physicians need to be able to retrieve information from EHRs in order to accurately interpret medical scans. Doing so allows them to make better decisions on treatments and ordering appropriate diagnostic imaging.
As updated EHRs are released by vendors that are capable of more robust functionalities, radiologists have to be ready to approach their IT staff members for any help or troubleshooting issues. Rather than attempt to solve problems on their own and take away from time that could be spent interpreting more images, the physicians need to fluidly communicate with IT employees to get problems fixed as soon as possible.
While some hospitals may feel adequately prepared to handle EHR systems, there is always room for improvement. Following the testing model established by Kaye and his colleagues, bringing the disparate systems together could tear down any barriers that interfere with fluid communication. This could facilitate improvements in quality of care and reduce costs for institutions and patients alike.
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Ronny Bachrach
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