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Practice Management Performance Indicators in Academic Radiology Departments¹

¹ From the Radiology Management Group, Department of Radiology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115 (S.O.P., J.G.B., K.H.Z., A.G., L.A.I., P.K., S.E.S., P.R.R.); Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass (S.O.P.); and Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (K.H.Z.). From the 2002 RSNA scientific assembly. Received July 22, 2003; revision requested October 3; final revision received February 20, 2004; accepted March 26. Supported in part by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality of the National Institutes of Health HS13234–01. Address correspondence to S.O.P. (e-mail: sondateguiparra@partners.org).

PURPOSE: To determine the management performance indicators most frequently utilized in academic radiology departments in the United States.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This investigation met the criteria for an exemption from institutional review board approval. A cross-sectional study in which a validated national survey was sent to members of the Society of Chairmen of Academic Radiology Departments (SCARD) was conducted. The survey was designed to examine the following six categories of 28 performance indicators: (a) general organization, (b) volume and productivity, (c) radiology reporting, (d) access to examinations, (e) customer satisfaction, and (f) finance. A total of 158 variables were included in the analysis. Summary statistics, the ² test, rank correlation, multiple regression analysis, and analysis of variance were used.

RESULTS: A response rate of 42% (55 of 132 SCARD members) was achieved. The mean number of performance indicators used by radiology departments was 16 ± 6.35 (standard deviation). The most frequently utilized performance indicators were as follows: (a) productivity, in terms of examination volume (78% [43 departments]) and examination volume per modality (78% [43 departments]); (b) reporting, in terms of report turnaround (82% [45 departments]) and transcription time (71% [39 departments]); (c) access, in terms of appointment access to magnetic resonance imaging (80% [44 departments]); (d) satisfaction, in terms of number of patient complaints (84% [46 departments]); and (e) finance, in terms of expenses (67% [37 departments]). Regression analysis revealed that the numbers of performance indicators in each category were statistically significant in predicting the total number of performance indicators used (P < .001 for all). Numbers of productivity and financial indicators were moderately correlated (r = 0.51). However, there were no statistically significant correlations between the numbers of performance indicators used and hospital location, hospital size, or department size (P > .4 for all).

CONCLUSION: Assessing departmental performance with a wide range of management indicators is not yet an established and standardized practice in academic radiology departments in the United States. Among all indicators, productivity indicators are the most frequently used.

© RSNA, 2004

Index terms: Economics, medical • Radiology and radiologists, departmental management • Radiology and radiologists, socioeconomic issues

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				S. Ondategui-Parra, J. G. Bhagwat, K. H. Zou, E. Nathanson, I. E. Gill, and P. R. Ros Use of Productivity and Financial Indicators for Monitoring Performance in Academic Radiology Departments: U.S. Nationwide Survey Radiology, July 1, 2005; 236(1): 214 - 219. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]