Radiology managers: Involve radiologic technologists in PACS adoption

Radiology managers need to meet the needs and perceptions of radiologic technologists (RTs), as well as radiologists and referring physicians, when it comes to adopting PACS solutions, according to a team of researchers writing in BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making.

"Managers have an obligation to improve the attributes--i.e., system quality, information quality, and service quality--of PACS to enhance radiologic technologists' perception of usefulness and satisfaction on PACS," corresponding author Kuang-Ming Kuo told AuntMinnie.com.

The researchers surveyed 100 RTs in order to determine the kinds of technical factors that affect RT satisfaction with PACS. They found that factors--including system quality, information quality, service quality, perceived usefulness, user satisfaction, and PACS dependence--were important measures of PACS success.

Perceived usefulness was the most important determinant of RT dependence on PACS. That means, the authors wrote, that it is up to radiology managers to reinforce RTs beliefs about the usefulness of PACS in improving job performance and effectiveness.

System quality was the second most important determinant of RT satisfaction, followed by information quality; that means that if RTs believe PACS can provide useful information that can help them perform their jobs, they'll be more likely to utilize the PACS and experience a greater degree of satisfaction from doing so.

"[T]he findings of this study indicate that managers must improve the attributes of PACS because at the onset of deployment, an RT will establish his or her own personal perception regarding its quality (system quality, information quality, and service quality)," the authors concluded. "When these perceptions are either reinforced or refuted, the RT will either be satisfied or dissatisfied with the system, and will also develop a perception of usefulness or lack of usefulness of PACS."

To learn more:
- read the study in BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making
- see the article in AuntMinnie.com