The Evolving Role of the Radiologist: The Vancouver Workload Utilization Evaluation Study

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Radiology Vol. 10; no. 10; pp. 764 - 769
• Main Authors: Dhanoa, Deljit, Dhesi, Tajinder S., Burton, Kirsteen R., Nicolaou, Savvas, Liang, Teresa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.10.2013
• Subjects: British Columbia; clinical productivity; outsourced services; Physicians - statistics & numerical data; practice management; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - statistics & numerical data; Practice Patterns, Physicians' - trends; quality assurance; Radiology; Radiology - statistics & numerical data; Radiology - trends; telemedicine; Time and Motion Studies; Utilization Review; workload; Workload - statistics & numerical data; British Columbia; clinical productivity; practice management; telemedicine; quality assurance; outsourced services; Radiology; workload
• ISSN: 1546-1440; 1558-349X; 1558-349X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2013.04.001

The role of the present-day on-site hospital radiologist surpasses image interpretation–related duties. This study characterizes these workload activities, as well as quantifies the type of value-based interactions radiologists experience on a daily basis with allied health personnel. A prospective, observational, randomized study was performed across 3 hospitals in the fall of 2012. One month of observation of 14 staff radiologists was performed by a trained observer. The observer followed the subject radiologists throughout the workday, recording activities using a time and motion methodology. Radiologists spent 36.4% of their time on image interpretation. The proportion of noninterpretative tasks was 43.8%, which includes activities such as protocolling requisitions, supervising and monitoring studies, performing image-guided procedures, consulting with physicians, and directly caring for patients. Total clinical productivity was 87.7%, and radiologists experienced, on average, 6 interactions per hour with other health personnel, of which over 81.2% directly influenced patient care in real time. This study demonstrates a new framework of characterizing the type of work radiologists perform on a daily basis, which helps further define the evolving role of the present-day radiologist to other physicians, administrators, and policy makers. Furthermore, the on-site added value that radiologists deliver suggests that radiologists are central figures in the medical imaging department who are difficult to replace by off-site or nonradiologist image interpreters.