Improving radiologist productivity in screening mammogram interpretation

Abstract

At our institution, a backlog of unread screening mammograms accumulated with a peak turnaround time of 198 h (8.25 days). Three major root causes of workflow inefficiencies were identified: radiologist interruptions, paper-based workflow, and a cumbersome report dictation workflow. A batched, digitized workflow with reporting assistance called “Uninterrupted with Assistant” was implemented. Following the intervention, the mean report turnaround time (TAT) was significantly decreased by 38.8 % (51.0 ± 16.0 vs 83.3 ± 46.6 h, p = 0.014) and the institutional goal for TAT (72 h) was met more often (93.3 %, 14/15 weeks vs 35.3 %, 6/17 weeks). Radiologist distraction in the new assignment was significantly lower (2.0 ± 1.4 SD) compared to the traditional “Interrupted” setting (5.6 ± 2.8 SD, t = -4.956, p < 0.01). Radiologist fatigue in the new assignment (2.6 ± 1.6 SD) was also significantly lower compared to the “Interrupted” setting (4.8 ± 2.2 SD, t = -5.159, p < 0.01). The average daily volume of screening mammograms interpreted in the “Uninterrupted with Assistant” assignment (50.3 ± 13.9 SD) was greater than in the “Interrupted” setting (21.0 ± 11.3). These interventions offer strategies to improve productivity and address practical issues of burnout and workforce retention.