Radiology services are at the heart of patient management and straddle both primary and secondary care. The demands for radiology services have never been higher and are still increasing. In addition, the complexity of imaging processes is increasing constantly, with the introduction of such procedures as CT colonography and the ever-expanding array of interventional procedures. This situation is further compounded by the evolving role of radiologists, who have to undertake non-reporting activities such as participating in multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), management, teaching and research. The current tight economic climate puts further strain on departments. Given all this, it is no surprise that efficiency is becoming an important topic for radiologist reporting.
This article looks at how available, existing methods can be adapted to analyse workload, describes the results of a study examining the workloads of British radiologists, and speculates on what the future might hold in the field of measuring the workloads of radiologists. Read more