Improving Throughput in Interventional Radiology: A Team Collaboration

The project purpose was to reduce patient throughput to 15:00 minutes or less once the patient arrived in interventional radiology (IR). Ishikawa (fishbone) diagram and Plan-Do-Study-Act test of change scientific methodology were used. Baseline data, specifically the time the patient arrived to the holding area to the time the patient was ready to begin the procedure was collected. Focus groups, through brainstorming, provided fishbone categories and causes leading to delayed throughput. Kotter's (2019) eight-step process of creating change was used to transform the team and execute the change. Over 10 months, between August 2017 and June 2018, data for start time were tracked for 1188 inpatients procedures and 1708 outpatient procedures. Overall time reduction from a mean time of 25:30 minutes to a mean of 15:00 minutes was achieved for all cases. A new model of care delivery realigned IR roles and created a structured process, improving interprofessional members' communication of pertinent patient safety information. Creating and implementing a new care delivery model based on interprofessional collaboration can be accomplished without increasing the number of physician providers, IR technologists, RNs, or support staff. The decreased throughput time was directly influenced by realigning staff roles and responsibilities and creation of the charge nurse role.