TY - JOUR
T1 - Implementation of online radiology quality assurance reporting system for performance improvement
T2 - Initial evaluation
AU - Kruskal, Jonathan B.
AU - Yam, Chun S.
AU - Sosna, Jacob
AU - Hallett, Donna T.
AU - Milliman, Yolanda J.
AU - Kressel, Herbert Y.
PY - 2006/11
Y1 - 2006/11
N2 - Purpose: To evaluate an online system developed and implemented for reporting and managing quality assurance (QA) events occurring in a radiology department. Materials and Methods: This HIPAA-compliant study had institutional review board approval; informed consent was not required. Using repeated plan-do-study-act cycles, a radiology quality management team applied a 10-step process to implement an online reporting system. The system permits remote submission of cases by staff members. The number of weekly submissions to the system over a 9-month period was evaluated and compared with that for the preceding 6 months by using the Mann-Whitney test. Sources and nature of data, actions initiated, and final outcomes were also analyzed. Recorded data included forum of discussion, dimension of care, action items, monitoring of follow-up and compliance, and notification status. Results: During the first 9 months of implementation, 605 cases were submitted (mean, 21.4 cases per week), a significant increase (P < .005) compared with the preceding 6 months (mean, 3.2 cases per week). Cases, which were submitted by residents (121 cases [20.0%]), fellows (94 cases [15.5%]), faculty members (319 cases [52.7%]), or technologists (54 cases [8.9%]), reported technical (33.1%) or administrative (8.0%) issues. The 329 clinical cases (54.4%) included 60 errors in communication (18.2%), 67 errors in interpretation (20.4%), 78 diagnostic delays (23.7%), 99 missed diagnoses (30.1%), and 54 procedural complications (16.4%); some cases were in more than one category. Twenty-three cases (3.8%) resulted in submission-related QA projects, and 69 cases (11.4%) resulted in individuals or sections of the hospital undergoing additional training. Conclusion: A secure online QA reporting system promotes reporting of QA events and serves as a database for identifying and managing trends, initiating performance improvement projects, and providing feedback to staff members who submit cases.
AB - Purpose: To evaluate an online system developed and implemented for reporting and managing quality assurance (QA) events occurring in a radiology department. Materials and Methods: This HIPAA-compliant study had institutional review board approval; informed consent was not required. Using repeated plan-do-study-act cycles, a radiology quality management team applied a 10-step process to implement an online reporting system. The system permits remote submission of cases by staff members. The number of weekly submissions to the system over a 9-month period was evaluated and compared with that for the preceding 6 months by using the Mann-Whitney test. Sources and nature of data, actions initiated, and final outcomes were also analyzed. Recorded data included forum of discussion, dimension of care, action items, monitoring of follow-up and compliance, and notification status. Results: During the first 9 months of implementation, 605 cases were submitted (mean, 21.4 cases per week), a significant increase (P < .005) compared with the preceding 6 months (mean, 3.2 cases per week). Cases, which were submitted by residents (121 cases [20.0%]), fellows (94 cases [15.5%]), faculty members (319 cases [52.7%]), or technologists (54 cases [8.9%]), reported technical (33.1%) or administrative (8.0%) issues. The 329 clinical cases (54.4%) included 60 errors in communication (18.2%), 67 errors in interpretation (20.4%), 78 diagnostic delays (23.7%), 99 missed diagnoses (30.1%), and 54 procedural complications (16.4%); some cases were in more than one category. Twenty-three cases (3.8%) resulted in submission-related QA projects, and 69 cases (11.4%) resulted in individuals or sections of the hospital undergoing additional training. Conclusion: A secure online QA reporting system promotes reporting of QA events and serves as a database for identifying and managing trends, initiating performance improvement projects, and providing feedback to staff members who submit cases.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33750368376&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1148/radiol.2412051400
DO - 10.1148/radiol.2412051400
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C2 - 17057072
AN - SCOPUS:33750368376
SN - 0033-8419
VL - 241
SP - 518
EP - 527
JO - Radiology
JF - Radiology
IS - 2
ER -