title: Developing a Patient-Centered Radiology Process Model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There has been increasing interest in the process of care that patients experience. To keep step with the rest of medicine, our specialty should be designing metrics that assess the overall experience of patients seeking care in radiology departments. A recent memo from the ACR chair calls for more work in this area. The aim of this study was to develop a patient-centered model for the experience of radiologic care, which may be helpful in addressing this need.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using principles of multiattribute utility theory and psychometric theory as well as recent literature, a model was developed for a patient-centered index that could be used in radiology facilities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A model was developed that concisely incorporates patient-centeredness of both radiologists and staff members (communication with patient and referrers, competence, and pain control) as well as patient- and process-related issues such as costs, procedural morbidity, access to care, appointment duration, waiting, timing of appointments, cleanliness of facility, and coordination with clinical services. The overall radiology process model was constructed as a set of nested models, which allow more integrated detail within the domains of patient experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This model and others like it may help the ACR develop quality metrics to reasonably quantify the patient experience.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Technology Assessment, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: jsswan@mgh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: J Shannon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Swan
authors.affiliation: Institute for Technology Assessment, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Pari V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Pandharipande
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Gloria M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Salazar
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Patient-centered care; quality of life; radiology process