Improving patient access and radiology workflow in Brazil

Radiology staff and medical imaging perform more than four billion procedures annually, playing a vital role in patient care worldwide.[1] As demand for imaging services continues to rise, health systems are working to maximize efficiency and improve access for more patients to receive quality care.

Optimizing efficiency in radiology

Rede D'Or, one of the largest integrated healthcare networks in Brazil, relies on its radiology department to provide high-quality imaging for its patients who reside in areas from Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Pernambuco, Bahia, Maranhão, Sergipe, Ceará, and Paraná, to Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraíba, Alagoas, and the Federal District.[2] The radiology department performs nearly 88,000 monthly imaging exams with state-of-the-art imaging technology.

Dr. Pedro Henrique R Quintino da Silva shared his experience on the hospital’s continuing journey to optimize efficiency in radiology workflows. Their goals included improving productivity and patient access to imaging with workflow solutions and imaging insights to further enhance patient care. Dr. da Silva shared the highlights of his experience implementing Imaging 360 as part of the transformative approach at Brazil Hospital to streamline radiology workflows and increase access to care. The team worked collaboratively with GE HealthCare to define and streamline the patient workflow and then optimize exam protocols.

Creating a plan to improve radiology workflows

Dr. da Silva discussed Brazil Hospital's transformative journey, marked by strategic interventions and tangible outcomes. The initial phase involved identifying challenges and potential opportunities for change. Dr. da Silva outlined the key challenges they faced, starting with the need to establish a time-logged triage system for nursing triage, to track time spent on each patient accurately, and to ensure efficient communication between staff and patients.

Additionally, the department aimed to develop patient journey indicators to create performance metrics that monitor waiting times, procedure durations, and overall patient satisfaction. Among its other imaging systems, Brazil Hospital’s radiology department operates three magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems that perform nearly 40,000 exams per month, so streamlining processes and creating workflow efficiencies would be key for the team to accommodate its hefty patient volume in MRI.

“We created a set of key performance indicators that could efficiently track and measure the various stages in the patient journey, including wait times, procedure duration, and overall satisfaction,” Dr. da Silva explained. “We created and manage a system for patients who are scheduled for MRI called ‘appointment check’. We look at all the scheduled exams the day before to try to identify any potential problems or complex exams that might cause delays. We do this to try to predict the best flow of patients in each MRI so that we are able to put the right patients in the right MRI to maximize our efficiency.”

The team created action plans to streamline operations. According to Dr. da Silva, streamlining administrative processes with solutions like “appointment check” was imperative. The team continued to monitor and evaluate progress, taking corrective actions as needed. As a result, the team witnessed a significant increase in exams per machine per day.

Improving radiology workflow optimization with data-driven solutions

To assist Brazil Hospital in creating workflow efficiencies to improve access to care, the team turned to GE HealthCare to combine innovative solutions and artificial intelligence (AI) with human expertise and data-driven insights. GE HealthCare’s Imaging 360 is a collection of innovative solutions that work together to fuel productivity across sites and imaging modalities to scale the imaging enterprise and create full operational visibility in radiology.

Data-driven insights have the potential to unlock opportunities for tackling challenges and relieving the burdens on radiologists and their teams. Advancements in imaging software and AI tools are fundamentally reshaping the landscape of radiology services. AI-based tools can help alleviate time demands on radiology workflows, provide better standardization, and allow radiologists to harness the right data at the right time to inform their diagnoses with speed and accuracy. Other potential benefits of applying AI and automation solutions in radiology also include reducing exam setup time, standardizing protocols, easing patient positioning, and increasing image consistency.

Streamlining protocol management with cloud-based solutions

“Cloud-based protocol management allows us to import, review, and distribute multi-modality protocols remotely,” explained Dr. da Silva. “In my point of view, this is a very important tool to help us track and monitor protocol deviations.”

Dr. da Silva and the team implemented solutions such as automated protocol management and a virtual, real-time collaboration tool to share expertise and advice during an exam, if needed, to help drive imaging consistency. They also implemented a data management tool to analyze workflow based on imaging modality and device so data analysis can be used to make informed, data-driven decisions.

Improving image quality with AI and machine learning

AI tools are helping radiologists process large volumes of imaging data with advanced image reconstruction algorithms and help to improve the consistency and accuracy of medical imaging and diagnostics. Several AI-based image analysis models, including machine learning, were developed to assist with image reconstruction.

Brazil Hospital also implemented GE HealthCare’s MR deep-learning reconstruction technology, a trained algorithm to reconstruct sharper images by leveraging all of the raw MRI acquisition data. It delivers a higher signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio with multiple user-selectable improvement levels and is compatible with all anatomies. Implementing innovations such as this not only allows Brazil Hospital’s radiology department to improve image quality but can also help streamline workflows with standardized image protocols to drive more consistent clinical outcomes. Additionally, with faster scanning times, AI tools can support improved access to care. Dr. da Silva illustrated several examples of reduced MRI exam times that delivered excellent image quality, supporting the department's goals of improving workflows while increasing access for more patients.

Achieving tangible results with a 360 view in radiology

The success story of Brazil Hospital speaks volumes about the transformative power of applying innovative solutions and data-driven decision-making to streamline radiology operations and improve access to care. Dr. da Silva shared compelling statistics and examples, showcasing reduced patient table times and enhanced image quality. These outcomes underscore the hospital's commitment to excellence and innovation in radiology workflow optimization, paving the way for improved patient care and efficiency in healthcare delivery.

 

Related content

• View Dr. Pedro Henrique R. Quintino da Silva’s presentation on ‘Increasing access to care with Imaging 360 and AIR™ Recon DL’
• Learn more about how to streamline your imaging operations with Imaging 360.

 

DISCLAIMER

Results listed here are of each specific customer and may not be typical.  Results are based on factors specific to each customer.  GE HealthCare cannot guarantee these or similar results.

Not all products or features are available in all geographies. Check with your local GE HealthCare representative for availability in your country.

 

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