Impact of a Reading Priority Scoring System on the Prioritization of Examination Interpretations.

Objective: Our institution implemented a read priority scoring system to combat the known limitations of traditional methods for the prioritization of examination interpretations by radiologists. We aimed to determine the impact on report turnaround time (RTAT) and RTAT variability.

Materials And Methods: On examination completion, technologists entered a read priority score (1-9) using provided definitions.

Impact of a Four-Point Order-Priority Score on Imaging Examination Performance Times.

Background: Many hospitals use a traditional categoric system (eg, STAT, ASAP [as soon as possible], routine) to prioritize orders for imaging examination performance. If left undefined, these categories contain ambiguity, which contributes to errant or misused categorizations, and ultimately, lost opportunity to optimally direct resources toward timely patient care. Our hospital implemented ordinal order-priority categories with specific definitions.