Pre-Technology
Before the various information and communication technologies (ICTs) at Wakefield Radiology were implemented, each patient's details, images, and other information were kept as separate paper records in blue folders. These folders contained documents such as request forms, radiographer working papers, and radiologist reports. This often amounted to a large quantity of paper being transferred, filed, stored and distributed at the firm. It also created problems when information was needed at a branch in a different location as courier costs were high, and time delays proved frustrating for patients and medical professionals alike. Missing or lost films and documents proved a costly and time-consuming problem under the old blue folder system.
Decision to Implement New Technology
The manual process was cumbersome, and provided a poor service to patients. As Wakefield Radiology has a commitment to using state of the art equipment, including the introduction of more sophisticated imaging technologies as they become available, Trevor is continually scanning the market for new technologies of all types that would improve the quality of both diagnosis and service to patients. He was aware that ICTs would enable him to offer a more advanced service and also a service delivered to the patient locally, whilst retaining central reporting of the films, which is not achievable by more traditional means. 1 They would also enable the practice to convey the impression to patients that the services provided were at the leading edge technologically, but also competitively priced, relative to the services and prices of other private practices. Trevor saw that the variety of new technologies available offered him a double advantage: to grow the business as well as offering the most up-to-date technology.
Wakefield Radiology has implemented two significant applications - a radiology information management system (Radman) to manage patient details, reports and accounts management, and a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) to manage the viewing, distribution and storage of images. Wakefield Radiology's decision to implement PACS was led by the desire to speed service, distribute service to patients' locally and be competitive in patients' perception. The system also enabled the business to largely eliminate staff frustration with the "old way". Even though the dedicated staff had carried out service provision professionally and cheerfully, the limitations of the manual system threatened to become a problem for staff morale.
There are several sources of information about the availability and performance of new technologies in the radiology arena. The main information sources that have been useful for Wakefield Radiology are medical conferences, word of mouth (colleagues), medical websites and equipment vendors. Due to the nature of the industry, keeping up with knowledge is very important, and as such, each radiologist employed attends several conferences each year to learn and share experiences with other radiology specialists.
When deciding on a vendor for the new technology, one of the most important things to Trevor was personal relations. A good relationship with, and confidence in the vendor, as well as the provision of good service contracts were vital considerations. Demonstrations of new products are very helpful in assisting with the decision of whether to purchase a particular product, and he also discusses technology options with his in-house information technology (IT) support staff member.
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