Trends in the on-call workload of radiologists

Herron, Jennifer; Reynolds, Justin

doi:10.1016/j.crad.2005.07.008

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…However, the emergence and availability of more sophisticated cross-sectional imaging, and the increasing reliance on these investigations to make a diagnosis, have led to an increased dependence on radiologist-driven out-of-hours reporting. A study comparing the on-call radiology workload between 1996 and 2003 has demonstrated an approximate doubling of out-of-hours requests between these periods [13].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of a consultant radiologist—are patients still in the dark?

et al. 2009

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Little is known regarding public awareness of the roles and responsibilities of a consultant radiologist. Between 1 April and 20 May 2008, 916 outpatients attending our radiology department completed a questionnaire addressing this issue. We found public perception variable. Thirty-six percent of respondents thought we were responsible for choosing appropriate imaging; only 65% perceived that we reported studies. Another 38% felt that we did not play an important role in their treatment, and 38% considered that we were not part of their medical team. Thirty-two percent of respondents preferred their hospital consultant to give them their imaging results, with 17% preferring this to come from the radiologist. There is significant under-appreciation of the roles and responsibilities of a consultant radiologist. It is important that we educate the public to ensure that future health policy reflects the increasingly central role imaging plays in health-care delivery.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of a consultant radiologist—are patients still in the dark?

et al. 2009

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“…A study that was performed by Caroll in the United States and published in 2003 showed increasing numbers of on-call X-ray, US, CT and MRI studies from 1998 to 2002 with a total increase in the number of radiological studies during on-call hours of 22% in three years [7]. A study from 2006 that was performed by Herron et al in the United Kingdom reported an 85% increase in the number of radiological studies during on-call hours in seven years [8]. This corresponds to an increase of 6.9% per year in the first study and 9.2% per year in the second study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Our data show an average increase of 5.7% per year of X-ray, US and CT studies combined. A limitation of the relatively old studies of Caroll et al [7] and Herron et al [8] is that they did not evaluate the overall workload in terms of RVUs. Our study also assessed the RVUs, which may be a better estimation of the increase of the overall workload.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, long shifts and high workloads are considered stressful, have negative health effects and can lead to burnout among radiologists [3,4] and also among radiology technicians [5,6]. Previous studies published in the early 2000s have demonstrated a 22% increase of radiological examinations during on-call hours over a four-year period in the USA [7] and an 85% increase over an eightyear period in the UK [8]. To our knowledge, there are no recently published studies that have quantified to which extent the workload for radiologists has increased and which type of studies contribute most to the workload during on-call hours.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Workload for radiologists during on-call hours: dramatic increase in the past 15 years

2020

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Background The objective of this study is to investigate the workload for radiologists during on-call hours and to quantify the 15-year trend in a large general hospital in Western Europe. Methods Data regarding the number of X-ray, ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) studies during on-call hours (weekdays between 6.00 p.m. and 7.00 a.m., weekends, and national holidays) between 2006 and 2020 were extracted from the picture archiving and communication system. All studies were converted into relative value units (RVUs) to estimate the on-call workload. The Mann–Kendall test was performed to assess the temporal trend. Results The total RVUs during on-call hours showed a significant increase between 2006 and 2020 (Kendall's tau-b = 0.657, p = 0.001). The overall workload in terms of RVUs during on-call hours has quadrupled. The number of X-ray studies significantly decreased (Kendall's tau-b = − 0.433, p = 0.026), whereas the number of CT studies significantly increased (Kendall's tau-b = 0.875, p < 0.001) between 2006 and 2020. CT studies which increased by more than 500% between 2006 and 2020 are CT for head trauma, brain CTA, brain CTV, chest CT (for suspected pulmonary embolism), spinal CT, neck CT, pelvic CT, and CT for suspected aortic dissection. The number of ultrasound studies did not change significantly (Kendall's tau-b = 0.202, p = 0.298). Conclusions The workload for radiologists during on-call hours increased dramatically in the past 15 years. The growing amount of CT studies is responsible for this increase. Radiologist and technician workforce should be matched to this ongoing increasing trend to avoid potential burn-out and to maintain quality and safety of radiological care.

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“…In emergency care settings across Canada, the increasing number of patient visits combined with heightened reliance on diagnostic imaging for diagnoses has increased clinical duties for radiology staff and residents. 1,2 Canadian diagnostic residency programs are 5 years in length. 3 In the first year of postgraduate training (PGY-1)-termed the basic clinical training year-there are no required radiology rotations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of a 12-Month Emergency Radiology Curriculum for Improving Self-Confidence and Competence of Postgraduate Year 1 Radiology Residents—A Canadian Study

et al. 2020

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Purpose: Limited radiology curriculum during postgraduate year 1 of radiology residency combined with increasing workloads during emergency radiology call have contributed to heightened anxiety and responsibilities for junior residents. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-month emergency radiology curriculum on self-rated confidence and general competence of Canadian postgraduate year 1 radiology residents. Methods: A cohort of Canadian postgraduate year 1 Diagnostic Radiology residents voluntarily enrolled in a 12-month self-directed online emergency radiology curriculum (9 modules). Participants completed pretest and posttest surveys and examinations to gauge their self-rated competence on module material and knowledge acquisition, respectively. Average pretest and posttest scores were compared using Student 2-tailed unpaired t test, and Likert data from self-reported confidence were compared using a Mann Whitney U test. Statistical significance was defined as P < .05. Results: Sixty-six trainees completed at least 1 module, and 15 trainees completed all 9 modules. Both self-rated confidence and posttest scores were statistically higher after module completion ( P < .001) for all 9 learning modules. The greatest improvement in test scores was seen in the female genitourinary module (28.12 ± 3.018; difference between pretest and posttest means ± SEM). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates learning benefits for junior radiology trainees who participated in a self-directed online emergency radiology curriculum during postgraduate year 1. In the face of ever-increasing demands for imaging in on-call settings across Canada, inclusion of a self-directed online curriculum may become more important for upcoming competency-based medical education as it encourages a learner-driven and non-time-based method of education.

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Trends in the on-call workload of radiologists

Cited by 12 publications

References 6 publications

The role of a consultant radiologist—are patients still in the dark?

The role of a consultant radiologist—are patients still in the dark?

Workload for radiologists during on-call hours: dramatic increase in the past 15 years

Effectiveness of a 12-Month Emergency Radiology Curriculum for Improving Self-Confidence and Competence of Postgraduate Year 1 Radiology Residents—A Canadian Study

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