ACRAD15 –  Report Turnaround Time: Radiography

Measure Title: Report Turnaround Time: Radiography

Measure Description Mean radiography report turnaround time (RTAT). (Does not include mammography.)

Denominator: Total number of radiography exams completed

Numerator: Mean time from exam completion to final signature on report, in hours

Denominator Exclusions: None

Denominator Exceptions: None

Numerator Exclusions: None

Published Specialty: Radiology

High Priority Measure: Yes

Measure Type: Outcome

Include Telehealth: No

Inverse Measure: Yes

Proportional Measure: No

Continuous Variable Measure: Yes

Ratio Measure: No

Score Range: Continuous Variable range of scores: 0.00-9999.00

Number of Performance Rates: 1

Performance Rate Description: Mean radiography report turnaround time (RTAT). (Does not include mammography.)

Risk Adjusted Status: No

MIPS Reporting Options: Traditional MIPS

Care Setting: Ambulatory; Emergency Department and Services; Hospital Inpatient; Hospital Outpatient; Imaging Facility

Clinical Recommendation Statement: This measure was approved by CMS for QCDR inclusion in 2014.

The written imaging report is a key method for providing diagnostic interpretation to referring clinicians from radiologists. Timely final imaging reports support informed and efficient decision making for treatment plans by referring physicians, and ultimately the delivery of care to patients. While important to timely treatment and potentially better health outcomes, short turnaround of reports also improves patients’ experience with care, cuts input costs, and improves the throughput of imaging exams. Rapid turnaround time (TAT) of reports is especially important to patient care provided in the emergency department (ED). These measures encompass all settings, enabling quality improvement in each. While the definition of timeliness depends on setting or site characteristics, using comparative benchmarks from registry data provides radiologists with transparent feedback to optimize TAT at their sites. The American Board of Radiology includes “”turnaround time”” as one category from which radiologists may select to conduct a practice quality improvement (Part IV) for continued Maintenance of Certification.

Measure Rationale: The written imaging report is a key method for providing diagnostic interpretation to referring clinicians from radiologists. Timely final imaging reports support informed and efficient decision making for treatment plans by referring physicians, and ultimately the delivery of care to patients. While important to timely treatment and potentially better health outcomes, short turnaround of reports also improves patients’ experience with care, cuts input costs, and improves the throughput of imaging exams. Rapid turnaround time (TAT) of reports is especially important to patient care provided in the emergency department (ED). These measures encompass all settings, enabling quality improvement in each. While the definition of timeliness depends on setting or site characteristics, using comparative benchmarks from registry data provides radiologists with transparent feedback to optimize TAT at their sites. The American Board of Radiology includes “”turnaround time”” as one category from which radiologists may select to conduct a practice quality improvement (Part IV) for continued Maintenance of
Certification.