A Low-Tech Fix for a High-Tech Problem
A study published in Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology has shown that assigning radiology administrative assistants (RAAs) to radiologists can save hundreds of hours of physician time, enabling them to focus on what truly matters: image interpretation. The research, conducted at Jones Radiology, a network of 60 radiologists across 30 sites in Australia, tracked the system’s performance over 12 months.
The growing disconnect between imaging volumes and radiologist staffing is a worldwide challenge. Many departments are investing in AI-driven tools to extract more productivity from radiologists who are already operating at maximum capacity. But a significant portion of the radiologist’s day doesn’t involve reading images at all. Tasks like communicating findings to referring physicians, sourcing prior exams, and study protocolling consume substantial time. Previous research estimates that these non-interpretive duties can take up to 44% of a radiologist’s workday.
How the Australian Model Worked
At Jones Radiology, RAAs worked during normal business hours and were assigned tasks through a critical results feature integrated into the PACS system. Radiologists could opt in or out of the service as they wished. The primary function of the RAAs was communicating critical and significant results to referring physicians. They also handled locating and importing prior images from external facilities, flagging scans requiring priority review, assisting with IT issues, and providing research support.
This approach is notable for its simplicity. Rather than a massive IT infrastructure project, it redistributes existing tasks to trained administrative professionals. The barrier to implementation is low, making it accessible even to smaller radiology practices without large technology budgets.
Key Results: 679 Hours Saved in 12 Months
The 12-month tracking period from 2021 to 2022 produced compelling numbers. RAAs were assigned 5,400 tasks during the study, saving 679 hours of radiologist time. Half of the tasks (50%) involved communicating significant or unexpected findings to clinicians. The remaining tasks were unrelated to results communication, including sourcing external images, miscellaneous inquiries, and IT support.
Regarding communication timeliness, over 90% of “important” findings were communicated within the six-hour target turnaround. However, only 55% of “critical” findings met the one-hour turnaround goal. This gap highlights an area for improvement, particularly since timely communication of critical findings is a regulatory requirement in many jurisdictions and a leading source of malpractice risk in radiology.
Context: Radiologists Do Far More Than Read Images
The study reinforces a point often lost in the productivity debate: radiologists perform numerous functions beyond image interpretation. This reality appears to have escaped some hospital administrators who view the radiologist solely as an “image reader.” In practice, radiologists participate in multidisciplinary meetings, guide protocol selection, oversee quality assurance, interact with technologists, and respond to clinical consultations throughout the day.
This accumulation of tasks isn’t merely an efficiency issue; it’s also a driver of burnout. When a physician must interrupt image reading to make phone calls or track down images in external systems, the workflow becomes fragmented. Each interruption creates lost time as the radiologist re-establishes concentration, impacting both speed and diagnostic accuracy.
Practical Implications for Radiology Services
For departments worldwide facing radiologist shortages, adopting administrative assistants could be a high-impact, low-cost intervention. The logic is straightforward: if nearly half the radiologist’s day is consumed by tasks that don’t require medical training, allocating support professionals for those functions effectively doubles the team’s interpretive capacity without hiring additional specialists.
This approach can also serve as a bridge to more complex technological solutions. Departments that lack the budget or infrastructure for AI-powered workflow tools can begin with task redistribution and gradually integrate technology into the established model. The RAA system creates a foundation that makes future AI adoption smoother and more effective.
Future Perspectives
The clerical assistant model isn’t new, but this study provides concrete evidence of its effectiveness at scale. The authors suggest RAAs could serve as precursors to more sophisticated IT-based operational solutions. As PACS and RIS systems evolve with AI capabilities, the combination of intelligent automation and human administrative support is likely to yield the best results.
One limitation is that the study was conducted at a single Australian radiology group, which may limit generalizability to other care models. The 55% compliance rate for one-hour critical finding communication also suggests that escalation processes need refinement.
Source: The Imaging Wire
