Administrative assistants help rads reclaim hundreds of hours for reading time
Radiology administrative assistants help radiologists reclaim hundreds of hours of reading time per year, according to newly published data.
Prior research suggests that radiologists’ workloads are increased by an average of 44% due to the burden of noninterpretive tasks (NIT). This, coupled with the growing demand for imaging services, has prompted some organizations to deploy radiology administrative assistants (RAAs) to handle NITs so that readers can focus their time on interpreting exams. RAAs handle tasks related to communications, obtaining authorizations and sourcing prior imaging exams and more.
“Whilst indispensable, these non-reporting duties can be time-consuming and disruptive, with deleterious effect on a radiologist’s accuracy, efficiency and productivity,” Bhargav Challapalli , with the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, Lyell McEwin Hospital, in Australia, and colleagues noted. “Additionally, barriers to timely communication frequently plagues a radiologist’s work, cumulatively leading to frustration, decreased job satisfaction and increasing burnout amongst radiologists.”
To get a better idea of how these staff members contribute to workflow improvements, the group conducted an analysis of all the tasks delegated to RAAs within a multi-center radiological institution between 2021 and 2022. The team reviewed the number of tasks, types of tasks performed and duration spent on each task.
Over the course of 12 months, the group counted nearly 5,500 tasks that had been assigned to an RAA within the organization. Half of the duties were related to communications, many of which were with referring providers to convey significant or unexpected findings on behalf of radiologists. This resulted in 94% of “critical” or “important” findings being communicated within the target 6-hour window, with most results being delivered in less than 3 hours (this did not include emergency scenarios, as those results were shared by the radiologist directly and immediately).
The other 50% of tasks primarily pertained to obtaining access to prior imaging exams and reports. Other tasks included assisting with IT issues and general inquiries. Using a conservative estimate of five minutes per task, the team estimated that each radiologist saved an average of 228 hours per year by delegating these responsibilities to RAAs.
“This highlights the time-consuming nature of a multitude of ancillary tasks that are not directly related to reporting but often plagues a radiologist’s routine work,” the group noted. “More importantly, delegation of these essential but basic tasks to the RAA reduces fragmentation of a radiologist’s interpretive time, which has previously been shown to result in ‘resumption lag’ and consequently decreases productivity and diagnostic accuracy.”
Not only does having an RAA available to help with NITs improve workflows, but it also can boost radiologist morale by giving them the time to complete duties they deem more fulfilling, potentially leading to better work satisfaction and wellbeing, the authors concluded.
Read more about the findings here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.