Volume 11 Issue 1 (February) - Australasian Society for Ultrasound ...

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“We now see a 50 percent overall
reduction in the total exam time.”
MPR of IVC right renal vein
Volume imaging is a more efficient method
for acquiring optimal 2D images. Physicians
have the ability to obtain a variety of views
that are richer than conventional imaging.
Additionally, its greater accuracy improves
the evaluation of relational anatomy by
allowing radiologists to analyze surface
anatomical structures and assess global
motion and functional information.
Improvements in efficiency and
throughput equal faster scan time,
positive impact on bottom line
The ability to obtain volumes and review
and manipulate those images at a later
time is helping Freeman Hospital realize a
reduction in overall examination time.
“We’ve seen significant reductions in the
time the patients spend on the exam table
and the actual scan time,” said Dr. Elliott.
“The question then is ‘are we spending
a lot of time manipulating the images?’
Having looked at all of our data, we’ve
found that we are not spending a lot of
time manipulating images. Even if you
take into account not only the scan time,
but also the patient’s time on the table,
manipulation and measurement time, there
is still an overall 50 percent reduction
across all the studies that I’ve looked at,
in the total exam time. This offers huge
advantages in the way we work.”
Dr. Elliott also cites the quicker scan times
in helping improve the hospital’s patient
throughput, which means a positive impact
on the bottom line.
“What we’re finding in terms of efficiency
in the rooms is that we can have somebody
doing a quick volume acquisition, another
perform the interpretation, while
somebody else is getting another patient
onto the bed and scanned. So we actually
have an overlap now, which is enabling us
to increase throughput in that one room.
The acquisition phase of exams has the
greatest potential for positive workflow
impact. Conventional workflow requires
the acquisition of 2D image after 2D image,
followed by printing and archiving of the
images. With volume imaging, volume
interrogation follows volume acquisition,
making it possible to shorten
acquisition time.
“We’d been using 3D imaging, seeing
images of surface rendering, when I
suddenly realized that we could actually
take the volume of data and use it for
something we’d been doing every day in
2D measuring,” said Dr. Elliott. “In one
particular case, a simple abdominal aortic
aneurism, I realized we had the potential
to acquire volume data and do very simple
measurements in a fraction of the time.”
In addition to changing the way his
department works, Dr. Elliott also cites
the efficiency of volume imaging as a real
benefit of the technology.
“The biggest impact for me of using volume
imaging is its efficiency. I can scan more
patients in a unit of time and then review
the data later. I can acquire the data
instead of having to analyze it and measure
images on the machine. I can also review
data another day after the patient is long
gone. So it offers the potential for me to
change the way I work.”
“It also has an impact in the UK where the
sonographers are scanning and reporting
independently or I’ve got trainees who
are scanning,” continued Dr. Elliott. “A
good example of that would be out of
hours. There’s always that doubt with
two-dimensional ultrasound when you’re
scanning in fixed planes that something
may have been missed. With 3D imaging,
I know that they’ve acquired that data and
we can go back and review that later
as a team.
Patient benefits
Volume imaging also has a significant
benefit to patients, who no longer endure
lengthy scan times or the need for call
backs as the result of a missed scan.
“The first thing patients will probably
notice, and ours do, is that some scans
take a fraction of the time,” said Dr. Elliott.
“We’re seeing a mean reduction between
80 and 90 percent in time that the patient
spends on the exam table. We operate
a number of one-stop clinics, so patients
coming to see a surgeon will come to
see us for the ultrasound. For example,
patients attending for abdominal aortic
aneurism assessment are coming in for
surveillance scans and can then go straight
to the clinic. Now, scan time is just a very
small portion of the patient’s visit.
ASUM Ultrasound Bulletin 2008 February 11 (1)