Automated Review Assignment System Enables QA Team
Situation/Problem: Our radiology group was expanding, and the existing method for assigning peer reviews of exams for the Quality Assurance (QA) team was not sustainable. Previously, radiologists selected which exams to review, while the QA team manually filled in gaps in coverage related to modality, interpreter, and site, creating a logistical challenge for the team. As the practice grew to encompass numerous sites and handle thousands of exams daily, this system resulted in uneven workloads, with some radiologists opting for significantly simpler exams, leading the QA team to rely more on those radiologists known for their prompt and efficient responses. Solution: Expeed developed a system to establish rules for assigning exam reviews, which could be applied at various levels. For example, a rule might apply to the entire practice or to an individual radiologist. Specific categories included sites and types of personnel, such as new hires. These categories were dynamically linked to the company’s database, so changes, like the hiring of a new radiologist, would automatically update the available options. Additionally, an amount could be specified for radiologists to whom a rule applied, either as a percentage or a fixed number. Outcome: The QA team could keep pace with the ongoing growth, consistently delivering the contracted reviews to medical providers with whom service level agreements were in place. Additionally, radiologists felt that the workload for each review was fairly acknowledged, rather than being treated as uniform. Ultimately, the time burden on the QA team was greatly reduced, allowing them to concentrate on more critical tasks instead of randomly assigning exam accession numbers for review.