A pilot project using Hexarad radiology software showed that the overall time saved from using the software is the equivalent to one extra clinician per shift in a ten-doctor department.
To achieve this same outcome, a hospital would need to spend £365,000 per annum on locum agency fees.
A recent update, specifically the introduction of Hexarad’s new Edge integration software, has enabled further improvements to turnaround times in acute care.
Using the Edge technology, Radiologists at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (NWAFT) are now able to receive urgent care images within 25 minutes, compared to around 45 minutes using the previous legacy system.
Head CT scans, often used to diagnose serious head injuries, can now be sent to reporting radiologists in less than five minutes.
The total reported time savings are up to 80 minutes per patient.
Head CT scans, often used to diagnose serious head injuries, can now be sent to reporting radiologists in less than five minutes
Time matters hugely when it comes to diagnosis, particularly in acute and emergency care.
Delays are known to lead to poorer outcomes.
For example, a person experiencing a stroke will lose two million nerve cells for every minute they don’t receive medical treatment.
For every ten-minute delay, a patient can lose eight weeks of healthy life.
A CQC review of radiology services in England found that the time it takes for a scan to be reported in A&E ranges from an hour to as long as 48 hours.
By focusing on reducing image transfer times we have been able to make some significant additional time savings
Studies have shown that bottlenecks in imaging leading to delays in diagnosis, results in unnecessary patient deaths and the NHS has been repeatedly warned of these dangers in recent years.
Dr Jaymin Patel, Hexarad COO and Consultant Radiologist, said: “Ultimately, the time it takes for images to transfer is time when clinicians and patients are waiting for reports, and reducing that time can cut delays."
“By focusing on reducing image transfer times we have been able to make some significant additional time savings, and patients at NWAFT are now receiving their urgent care around 15 minutes faster than they were before,” Patel added.
“Hours, minutes, and seconds matter hugely when it comes to diagnosis, particularly in urgent care, so we think it’s important to focus on areas that might otherwise be overlooked to find ways to get patients their diagnosis more quickly,” Patel explained.