The Cinderellas of the scanner: Magnetic resonance imaging ‘pre-scan’ and ‘post-scan’ times: Their determinants and impact on patient throughput
| Autor: | Marthinus B. van Rooyen, Richard D. Pitcher |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | South African Journal of Radiology, Vol 24, Iss 1, Pp e1-e6 (2020) |
| Druh dokumentu: | article |
| ISSN: | 1027-202X 2078-6778 |
| DOI: | 10.4102/sajr.v24i1.1946 |
| Popis: | Background: Increasing demand for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has contributed to extended patient waiting times worldwide. This is particularly true in resource-limited environments, prompting this institutional workflow analysis. Objective: To determine the ‘pre-’ and ‘post-scan’ times for normal-hour MRI studies conducted at a tertiary-level, public-sector South African hospital and to assess any association with demographic details, patient characteristics, anatomical site and scan parameters. A secondary objective was determination of the average daily MR ‘down’ time. Methods: A prospective descriptive study stratifying MRI workflow into ‘pre-scan’, ‘scan’, ‘post-scan’ and ‘down’ times. During ‘pre-‘ and ‘post-scan’ times patients occupied the scanner whilst staff performed tasks indirectly contributing to image acquisition. During ‘down’ time no patient occupied the MRI room. ‘Pre-’ and ‘post-scan’ times were compared with demographic details, patient characteristics, anatomical site and study parameters, utilising correlation analysis or analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: A total of 223 patients (n = 223) underwent 286 investigations in the 23-day review period. Seventy per cent of routine working time was utilised in image acquisition. The ‘pre-’ and ‘post-scan’ times together accounted for 19% and ‘down’ time for 11% of working time. Prolonged ‘pre-’ and ‘post-scan’ times were independently associated with age less than 12 years, anaesthesia, sedation and immobility (p 0.01 in all cases). The longest median combined ‘pre-’ and ‘post-scan’ time by anatomical site (cholangiopancreatography, 21:46 min) was more than six times the shortest (pituitary fossa, 3:11 min). Conclusion: A critical analysis of magnetic resonance ‘pre-’ and ‘post-scan’ times can provide valuable insights into opportunities for enhanced service efficiency. |
| Databáze: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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