An activity-based workload modelling approach for determining diagnostic radiographer staffing requirements within a diagnostic radiology practice.
Date
2021-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Radiology is a medical speciality that uses imaging technologies to obtain and interpret medical images. Radiology forms a crucial part in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, thus the quality of the reports and images, together with the quick turnaround time of the results, is paramount. The radiology team consists of radiologists, who are medical specialists that interpret images to appropriately advise on treatment, while radiographers operate the imaging equipment and ensure correct patient positioning
The efficiency of a radiology department is influenced by effective integration of workflow and imaging technologies as well as by appropriately aligned staffing,amongst other factors. Furthermore, diagnostic radiographers are responsible for producing the medical images that form the basis for accurate diagnosis hence, ensuring that a diagnostic radiology practice is staffed by a sufficient number of diagnostic radiographers is a vital aspect in enabling effective service delivery. However, a review of existing radiology-specific staffing approaches reveals that radiology workload models focus mainly on diagnostic radiologists within tertiary hospital environments, while research into radiographers’ workload and staffing only considers the radiation therapy practice field.
This research develops a framework that can be used to accurately determine diagnostic radiographer staffing requirements. The proposed framework is developed based on requirement specifications. These requirement specifications are formulated based on a body of literature that includes both general healthcare-and radiology-specific staffing approaches. A complete evaluation approach (verification and validation) is applied to the requirement specifications and the proposed framework. A self-verification of the requirement specifications to the proposed framework is done followed by a theoretical verification of both the underlying bodies of literature and the framework that involves subject matter experts. The validation process includes a case study application of the framework to a private diagnostic radiology practice. The results of the case study are validated with subject matter experts to confirm the framework’s applicability and practicability. Insights from the case application confirm that the diagnostic radiographer staffing framework can be applied to both public and private diagnostic radiology environments.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Raadpleeg teks vir opsomming
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Raadpleeg teks vir opsomming
Description
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
Keywords
UCTD, Work load of employees, Radiodiagnosis, Imaging systems in medicine, Requirements specification