Reducing Radiographic Repeat Rates

Reducing Radiographic Repeat Rates by Craig Carr, MBA, CRA, RT(R)(CT)(MR)(ARRT)

The presented quality improvement (QI) initiative is focused on reducing radiographic repeat rates as a means to decrease radiation dose to patients and, in this case, more specifically, the pediatric population. As professional radiographers, it is the expectation that we adhere to the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principles and do all we can to drive down any unnecessary radiation exposure for all patients. Reducing ionizing radiation is not a new concept within the radiographic community, as most radiology departments actively track data pertaining to the reduction of radiographic repeats. The presented project incorporates several quality-improvement tools used to analyze and evaluate processes and interventions to solidify ongoing success that can be sustained over a long period. The data was collected on a weekly basis (average weekly N size was 1,690) and consisted of a pediatric population up to 21 years of age. The QI process opened up a fresh perspective on an age-old issue. The project fostered a multifaceted collaboration that dove into issues and looked for innovative ways to improve static processes. Our findings instituted some fundamental changes that resulted in a significant reduction in radiographic repeats per technologist and as a department.

AHRA September/October 2024 Quick Credit

The credit earned from the Quick Credit test accompanying this article may be applied to the AHRA Human Resource Management (HR) domain.