Factors Affecting Radiologist's PACS Usage.
The purpose of this study was to determine if any of the factors radiologist, examination category, time of week, and week effect PACS usage, with PACS usage defined as the sequential order of computer commands issued by a radiologist in a PACS during interpretation and dictation. We initially hypothesized that only radiologist and examination category would have significant effects on PACS usage. Command logs covering 8 weeks of PACS usage were analyzed. For each command trace (describing performed activities of an attending radiologist interpreting a single examination), the PACS usage variables number of commands, number of command classes, bigram repetitiveness, and time to read were extracted. Generalized linear models were used to determine the significance of the factors on the PACS usage variables. The statistical results confirmed the initial hypothesis that radiologist and examination category affect PACS usage and that the factors week and time of week to a large extent have no significant effect. As such, this work provides direction for continued efforts to analyze system data to better understand PACS utilization, which in turn can provide input to enable optimal utilization and configuration of corresponding systems. These continued efforts were, in this work, exemplified by a more detailed analysis using PACS usage profiles, which revealed insights directly applicable to improve PACS utilization through modified system configuration.
Sectra, Teknikringen 20, SE-583 30, Linköping, Sweden. daniel.forsberg@sectra.com.|Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA. daniel.forsberg@sectra.com.
Daniel
D
Forsberg
Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
Beverly
B
Rosipko
Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
Jeffrey L
JL
Sunshine
D006801:Humans; D008330:Management Audit / Q000379:methods; D000072177:Radiologists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011873:Radiology Information Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors
Efficiency; PACS management; Workflow