title: Impacting key performance indicators in an academic MR imaging department through process improvement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate all aspects of workflow in a large academic MRI department to determine whether process improvement (PI) efforts could improve key performance indicators (KPIs).
  
  
  METHODS
  KPI metrics in the investigators' MR imaging department include daily inpatient backlogs, on-time performance for outpatient examinations, examination volumes, appointment backlogs for pediatric anesthesia cases, and scan duration relative to time allotted for an examination. Over a 3-week period in April 2011, key members of the MR imaging department (including technologists, nurses, schedulers, physicians, and administrators) tracked all aspects of patient flow through the department, from scheduling to examination interpretation. Data were analyzed by the group to determine where PI could improve KPIs. Changes to MRI workflow were subsequently implemented, and KPIs were compared before (January 1, 2011, to April 30, 2011) and after (August 1, 2011, to December 31, 2011) using Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data analysis done during this PI led to multiple changes in the daily workflow of the MR department. In addition, a new sense of teamwork and empowerment was established within the MR staff. All of the measured KPIs showed statistically significant changes after the reengineering project.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intradepartmental PI efforts can significantly affect KPI metrics within an MR imaging department, making the process more patient centered. In addition, the process allowed significant growth without the need for additional equipment or personnel.
authors.affiliation: New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York 10016, USA. michael.recht@nyumc.org
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Recht
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macari
authors.forename: Kirk
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mulholland
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Babb
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D057188:Workflow