Failures in communication or follow-up of significant radiological findings can be life threatening and is a nationally recognised patient safety risk. Incidents resulting in serious harm and death were highlighted by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) in 2007, and the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) have issued several guidance publications on methods to reduce this risk.
As part of their ongoing commitment to deliver safe and effective patient care, Ramsay Health Care are installing the Rad-Alert software onto their new PACS system, which allows Radiologists to activate a real-time alert by choosing one of three options: Unexpected and Significant Clinical Findings, Urgent, and Critical findings. The system then communicates the finding to clinicians via SMS, Smartphone App, secure Web App or Email.
If the clinician fails to acknowledge the alert in a timely manner, the system is configured so that the alert is escalated to other relevant personnel. A permanent auditable record is held on the Radiology Information System (RIS), which allows the radiology department to monitor and take action in the unlikely event that a notification is not acknowledged.
The Rad-Alert system will be used to notify both internal clinicians and external referrers with the aim of improving and maintaining a timely and accurate diagnosis for Ramsay Health Care’s patients.