WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Productivity in a general radiology work area can be assessed and improved with group members contributing to the decisions for addressing productivity, according to research published in the October issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Michelle A. Wilt, of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., and colleagues analyzed data from a general imaging technology group. The researchers measured the average time needed to perform 13 common examinations, and determined workers' productivity by tracking examinations, multiplying by allocated time per procedure, and dividing this measure by work hours. Measures of productivity were shared among the work group, and group members made decisions on how to improve productivity.
The researchers found that, in February 2008, the baseline group productivity was 50 percent. During the first year of monitoring, productivity increased, and it remained higher through November 2009 -- at a range of 57 to 63 percent.
"Productivity in a general radiology department can be measured and improved. Keys to our success were having team members agree on the goal of improving productivity and authorizing them to make the necessary changes to achieve the goal. The method described here could be standardized if each site individually measured baseline examination times; standardized productivity measures could then be compared across departments and institutions," the authors conclude.
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