Paper Title
A Study on Utilization of Equipments and Quality Assurance in the Radiology Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital
Abstract
In the current generation of availability of high end equipment and services, customer satisfaction has become a
serious concern for service providers in the industry. Hospitals unlike other service providers deal with a very diverse group
of customers which turns out to be a challenging task for the management. The hospital receives customers also known as
patients who require immediate intervention and services to keep them satisfied. One of the departments in the hospital
which serves the patients’ needs is the radiology department which is mainly involved in diagnostic procedures and at times
for interventional and therapeutic also. Considering the importance of the radiology department within the hospital, the study
has been conducted to find out the utilization rates of equipments in the department which will help the management gauge
the status of the department in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. The equipments chosen in this study was Magnetic
Resonance Imaging MRI scanning machine, Computer Tomography (CT) and Mammography. The study also focuses on the
quality assurance aspect and compliance rate of the department to the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and
Healthcare Providers. The study includes various tools to assess the utilization rate of selected equipments, one of which
being the Time and Motion study which will bring out a clear picture on time taken for examinations performed. Based on
the overall findings and peer literature reviews suggestions on accurate appointment systems have been given to the
department wherein inpatients examinations can be conducted post OPD hours to avoid overcrowding which will also reduce
the waiting time for patients. Better marketing strategy is required to increase the patient load on mammography which the
management has to implement.
Keywords— Time & Motion Study, Utilization, quality assurance, Computed tomography, Mammography, Magnetic
resonance imaging.