Rationale and objectives: This study quantified the impact on service and costs of operational changes in CT.
Methods: Operational and financial analyses were performed in 1988 and 1991 after process flow and management changes were made.
Results: The backlog decreased from about 6 weeks to 1 week. The cost per scan decreased 25%. Volume increased 50%. Two technologists were assigned per scanner doing some steps of the process in parallel rather than sequentially. Decreasing throughput time accounted for three fifths of the cost decrease. The reduction in number of scanners and hours of operation, change in radiologists' practice patterns, coordination of scheduling, CT priority for escort personnel, and personnel changes accounted for two fifths of the cost decrease.
Conclusions: It is possible to simultaneously decrease costs and improve the quality of service by careful operations analysis and management. Operational changes had synergistic effects that allowed more improvement than might be anticipated. Advisable management changes may be counterintuitive.