Radiology Systems Project aims to improve access

22 November 2016

Radiology Systems Project aims to improve access to CT, MRI and ultrasound

Increased access to radiology imaging is high on the agenda for the Southern DHB following a round of discussion forums with staff, general practitioners and secondary care clinicians across the district over the past two months.

A project team, led by Dr Christine Vetter, Southern DHB Medical Director of Radiology, and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nigel Millar, held a total of eight forums to gather stakeholder input on ways to improve access to high-tech imaging and, more broadly, to help foster a collaborative, inclusive approach to healthcare delivery across the district.

The forums - held in Oamaru, Cromwell, Dunedin and Invercargill – were attended by dozens of participants who contributed their views on ways to best access CT, ultrasounds and MRI scans and make optimal use of existing resources.

“Radiology is an important diagnostic tool that touches many areas of healthcare, aiding in effective and rapid clinical decision-making,” says Dr Vetter, who today provided an update on the project to the Southern DHB Commissioners and others at the Hospital Advisory Committee meeting. “What we have heard is that there is wide-spread interest in improved access to these modalities and in identifying ways to make radiology services both clinically effective and convenient to access.”

The next phase of the radiology systems project is to provide communication back to the stakeholder groups regarding next steps, including co-design workshops that will discuss options for creating a proposed single referral pathway for high-tech imaging within the district.

The project team will also shortly be conducting a pilot programme giving general practitioners direct referral access to CT for kidney stone pain and ultrasound for cases of suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Referrers must use criteria set out in localised Health Pathways and based on the National Community Referred Imaging Access Criteria in order to refer directly.

“The pilot will enable GPs to refer patients directly to radiology, for high-tech images where renal colic or DVT is suspected,” Dr Vetter explains. “We have listened to what primary care providers, specialists, staff and others have said and this is an area where we think direct access could have a substantive impact.”

Once the outcome of the pilot and the co-design workshops are evaluated, further engagement will occur with stakeholders. Additional pathways will be phased in in the future.

For patients in the region, improved access for GPs could mean getting imaging sooner and having more options for where they can be scanned.

“We know there are things we will learn from these processes and not everything will go smoothly, but we are confident there’ll be system improvements and ultimately more equitable access for patients in Otago and Southland,” Dr Vetter said.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Nigel Millar said the radiology system project is representative of SDHB’s whole-of-system approach to healthcare services and its outcomes are likely to have meaningful impacts: “Amongst our goals is valuing our patients’ time, making best use of resources and breaking down artificial barriers between primary and secondary care providers to improve healthcare services. We can see the potential to help achieve these outcomes with this project.”

This second stage of the radiology systems project is getting underway in the coming weeks, with GPs referral access to radiology services via the pilot HealthPathways and the co-design workshops expected to begin before the end of the year.

ENDS

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