Dr. Conor Lowry, a third-year resident, will explain in this scientific session what the department did to maximize workflow. A special stroke pager alerts a designated radiologist to the head CT being ordered, and he or she is then telephoned by the radiologic technologist upon its completion. These notifications are augmented by a listing in the exams-to-be-read worklist that is displayed in gray to differentiate it from completed exams. As soon as the exam has been completed and is ready for interpretation, a flashing brain icon is displayed.
Also, as soon as the exam is ordered using a special stroke code, a countdown system is launched that monitors the progress of the exam. The system monitors the interval from the order to the beginning of the exam, from the beginning of the exam until its completion, and from the interpretation until the emergency department is notified and the call is logged into a critical test result management system. When delays are identified, alerts are sent to the technologist, the designated radiologist, or both.
