Developing a Radiology Quality and Safety Program: A Primer

Abstract

Four main areas of quality need to be addressed for a complete quality and safety program in radiology: safety, process improvement, professional outcome assessment, and satisfaction. These areas need to be coordinated by individuals who belong to a quality oversight committee. Management of the data can be facilitated by using a quality scorecard that posts relevant data for each operational group within a department. The ultimate goal is a cultural shift in which all departmental workers assume responsibility for quality and safety improvements and behave consistently with the core values of the organization. A road map for thinking about quality and safety issues in radiology allows all of these areas to be tied together. Four main areas of development are required, each demanding a different skill set and approach.

Systematic Review of the Application of Lean and Six Sigma Quality Improvement Methodologies in Radiology

“…Hence, many regulatory organizations are now mandating that radiology departments undertake quality improvement (QI) and cost-savings initiatives [6], and as a result, a variety of methodologies to improve quality have been proposed. Of these, industrial QI methodologies, such as Lean and Six Sigma, show a great deal of potential and relevance to the field of radiology because they focus on empirical changes to the system, not just the individual, with the goal of improving workflow and reducing variability.…”

The Importance of Radiation Safety in Terms of Hospital Administration and Research on the Awareness Stage of Radiology Technicians

“…It is very difficult to detect the harm to patients directly when the service is not provided well. Therefore, radiology units are suitable places where medical errors may occur (13). However, in a previous study, it has been stated that the radiation risk was determined as a medium hazard risk in the ER, intensive care clinic, post-operative care clinic, and thoracic service.…”

Quality Metrics for Radiology Practice

“…This is an abbreviated program compared with that described in the literature by authorities on this subject, who emphasize principles that have been termed key performance indicators (KPIs) [1,2]. However we emphasize what we consider the most important aspect of quality assessment, which other programs gloss over: the determination of performance of the radiologists themselves, and not tangential surrogates.…”