Radiology, Vol 168, 127-130, Copyright © 1988 by Radiological Society of North America
Streamlining operation of an admitting service for interventional radiology
RI White Jr, DM Rizer, KR Shuman, EJ White, PE Adams, ML Kinnison, SE Mitchell and FA Osterman Jr
Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiologic Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore.
The authors describe how operations of an inpatient admitting service for
interventional radiology were improved by developing a clinic and hiring a
physician's assistant. The service, begun in 1982, was managed by a senior
radiologist and fellows. Because of increasing admissions (from a mean of
52 per year in 1982-1985 to 110 per year in 1985-1987), a 1/2-day,
twice-weekly clinic was created in 1985 to evaluate new patients and
perform follow-up examinations. In 1986 a physician's assistant was hired
to assist in the clinic and during patient admissions. Use of the clinic
and physician's assistant streamlined patient flow and management during
hospitalization. This resulted in a decrease in mean length of stay for
patients undergoing angioplasty (from 3.74 days in 1982-1983 to 2.41 days
in 1986-1987). This decrease means cost savings for the hospital under the
prospective payment system. Other benefits include improved
physician-patient relationships and follow-up, new patients for colleagues
(15% of patients had anatomy unsuitable for interventional procedures and
were referred to staff surgeons), and increased professional fees.
