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

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“With Protocols, sonographers
now know exactly which images
are necessary as the system guides
them through a list of images for
a specific exam and automatically
annotates the data.”
Abdominal exams are streamlined at the University of Colorado. Using Protocols, each
sonographer sees the required views in the on-screen display.
In January 2007, the University of Colorado Results at University of Colorado
implemented Philips Ultrasound’s iU22 In the beginning, there were concerns
Protocols feature to standardize our throughout the department related to an
operations and eliminate inconsistencies outside entity dictating how exams were
within our department. By implementing to be performed. However, Philips’
Protocols, radiologists and sonographers Protocols system is customizable –
now have a tool to ensure consistency of allowing us to incorporate our existing
exams, more accurate annotation, greater procedures into the system. Once we
accuracy and ease of use in acquisition and showed sonographers how Protocols
diagnosis, time savings in individual exams, would save them time, we achieved 100%
as well as a tool that follows industry and acceptance within a few days.
accreditation guidelines.
With Protocols, sonographers now know
The Protocols technique
exactly which images are necessary as the
The Protocols feature is designed to system guides them through a list of images
enable consistency from patient to patient for a specific exam and automatically
and across the department. When the annotates the data. This has decreased
Protocols feature is launched, an on-screen our overall scan time – and some exams
display shows a list of required views. At by up to 50%. The Protocols feature has
the University of Colorado, we entered eliminated the need to rescan patients due
our specific protocols for abdominal, to forgotten images, which used to occur
vascular, and OB/GYN exams. These approximately 10% of the time.
protocols are utilized by everyone in the
department when using the iU22 systems, With abdominal scans, we have reduced
which ensures consistency of imaging when the time spent performing the exam by
scanning patients.
38%. This has been achieved by having a list
Department gains
• Consistency
• Fewer missed views
• Reduced PACS space
• Shorter exams
• More patient focus
readily available on the system that reminds
the sonographer which images have been
acquired and which images still need to
be acquired. The Protocols feature can be
set to ask for as many images as you deem
appropriate for an individual organ. For
example, our protocol manual stated three
longitudinal images of each kidney (lateral,
mid and medial) and three transverse
images (superior, mid and inferior).
However, sonographers would frequently
take many more scans because they liked
how a specific patient imaged, they weren’t
sure if they had already acquired a certain
image, or they just felt like it. With the
Protocols feature they are prompted to
acquire only the required images and then
move on. However, it is also possible
to pause the program and take as many
additional images as necessary when
pathology is encountered. The number of
unnecessary images acquired has dropped
substantially.
ASUM Ultrasound Bulletin 2008 February 11 (1)
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