Improving Care and Education Through a Radiology Resident-driven Clinical Consultation Service.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE

As health care moves toward bundled payment systems and merit-based incentive models, increasing awareness of the value of the radiologist is essential. A resident-driven clinical imaging rounds (CIR) program initiated at our institution allows radiologists to actively and directly participate in the team-based medical model. A retrospective review of survey data evaluated the qualitative and quantitative effects of CIR on clinical management, communication, and education of referring providers and radiology residents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The initial 10 months of a resident-organized CIR were evaluated in a retrospective study. Twenty radiology residents and 150 internal medicine physicians and medical students participated in imaging rounds. An anonymous survey of participants was performed and results were analyzed.

RESULTS

Eighty-five percent of radiology resident participants completed the survey (N = 17). Approximately 30% of internal medicine participants completed the survey (N = 45). There was an overwhelming positive review of imaging rounds, with a large majority of all groups agreeing that imaging rounds improve education, communication, and patient care.

CONCLUSIONS

Resident-driven imaging rounds provide a valuable opportunity to improve communication, education, and patient care. We have created a CIR with a sustainable workflow that allows direct and regularly scheduled imaging-medicine consultation valued by both radiologists and internal medicine physicians, improving the quality of patient care and providing education to our radiology residents in value-based care.