Multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting and Radiologist workload, a prospective review in a tertiary care hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the increase in workload associated with multidisciplinary team meetings for radiologists in a tertiary care hospital over a period of 15 months. METHODS: Data was collected prospectively regarding number of multidisciplinary team meetings, number of clinical cases discussed, number of individual imaging studies reviewed, and preparation time of residents, senior registrar and consultants and the delivery time of meeting. RESULTS: Total 223 meetings were held over 15 months (April 2014 to June 2015) for 12 clinical specialty areas. There were 1120 clinical case discussions and a total of 2759 documented individual imaging studies reviewed. Resident's preparation time was 74.6 hours/month, senior registrar's preparation time was 47.93 hours/month, consultant's preparation time was 18.67 hours/month and the total duration time for meetings was 18 hours/month. CONCLUSION: Multidisciplinary team meetings now represent a significant workload of radiology and has reduced the time for other academic activities within the department.

Demands for medical imaging and workforce Size: A nationwide population-based Study, 2000-2020.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate associations between workforce and workload among radiologists in Taiwan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data for the period 2000-2020 describing the demand for imaging services and radiologists have been obtained from databases and statistical reports of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The future demand for radiologists was based on Taiwanese people aged 40 and over. RESULTS: The workforce of Taiwan's radiologists has increased by 6 % annually over the past 20 years (from 450 to 993), performing 2125, 3202 and 3620 monthly examinations (mainly conventional radiography and CT) in medical centers, regional hospitals and district hospitals. Between 2000 and 2020, the use of CT and MRI increased by more than 3.5 times. Demand for interventional radiology also increased by 1.77 times, 2.25 times, and 5 times, respectively. To maintain this volume of services in 2040, at least 1168 radiologists are needed, about 1.18 times more in 2020. CONCLUSION: Taiwan has 2.4 to 2.9 times fewer radiologists than the United States and 3 times fewer than Europe, while the annual workload is approximately 2 to 3.4 times greater than that of the United States and 1.4 to 2.5 times greater than that of the United Kingdom. This report may serve as a reference for policy makers who address the challenges of the growing workload among radiologists in countries of similar situations.

Reading room assistants to reduce workload and interruptions of radiology residents during on-call hours: Initial evaluation.

PURPOSE: To determine how much timesaving and reduction of interruptions reading room assistants can provide by taking over non-image interpretation tasks (NITs) from radiology residents during on-call hours. METHODS: Reading room assistants are medical students who were trained to take over NITs from radiology residents (e.g. answering telephone calls, administrative tasks and logistics) to reduce residents' workload during on-call hours. Reading room assistants' and residents' activities were tracked during 6 weekend dayshifts in a tertiary care academic center (with more than 2.5 million inhabitants in its catchment area) between 10 a.m. and 5p.m. (7-hour shift, 420 min), and time spent on each activity was recorded. RESULTS: Reading room assistants spent the most time on the following timesaving activities for residents: answering incoming (41 min, 19%) and outgoing telephone calls (35 min, 16%), ultrasound machine related activities (19 min, 9%) and paramedical assistance such as supporting residents during ultrasound guided procedures and with patients (17 min, 8%). Reading room assistants saved 132 min of residents' time by taking over NITs while also spending circa 31 min consulting the resident, resulting in a net timesaving of 101 min (24%) during a 7-hour shift. The reading room assistants also prevented residents from being interrupted, at a mean of 18 times during the 7-hour shift. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the implementation of reading room assistants to radiology on-call hours could provide a timesaving for residents and also reduce the number of times residents are being interrupted during their work.

Evolving Radiology Trainee Neuroimaging Workloads: A National Medicare Claims-based Analysis.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: While radiology training programs aim to prepare trainees for clinical practice, the relationship between trainee, and national radiology workforce demands is unclear. This study assesses changing radiology trainee neuroimaging workloads nationwide for neuroimaging studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using aggregate Medicare claims files from 2002 to 2018, we identified all computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) examinations of the brain, head and neck, and spine (hereafter "neuroimaging") in Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries nationwide. Using separate Medicare files, we calculated population utilization rates, and work relative value unit (wRVU) weights of all diagnostic neuroradiology services. Using claims modifiers, we identified services rendered by radiology trainees. Using separate national trainee enrollment files, we calculated mean annual per trainee wRVUs. RESULTS: Between 2002 and 2018, total Medicare neuroimaging claims increased for both radiologists overall (86.1%) and trainees (162.5%), including increases in both CT (102.9% vs 196.8%), and MR (59.9% vs 106.6%). The national percentage of all radiologist neuroimaging wRVUs rendered by trainees increased 46.1% (3.8% of all wRVUs nationally in 2002 to 5.6% in 2018). National trainee increases were present across all neuroimaging services but greatest for head and neck CT (+86.5%). Mean annual per radiology trainee neuroimaging Medicare wRVUs increased +174.9% (42.1 per trainee in 2002 to 115.70 in 2018). Mean per trainee wRVU increases were greatest for spine CT (+394.2%) but present across all neuroimaging services. CONCLUSION: As neuroimaging utilization in Medicare beneficiaries has grown, radiology trainee neuroimaging workloads have increased disproportionately.