Abstract No. 610 First Case, Best Case: Unlocking Efficiency in Interventional Radiology

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

3-23-2026

Publication Title

J Vasc Interv Radiol

Keywords

benchmarking, checklist, clinical article, conference abstract, human, interventional radiology, male, morality, quality improvement study, root cause analysis, tertiary health care, total quality management, turnover rate, workflow

Abstract

Purpose: Delays in first case start (FCS) times in hospital-based interventional radiology (IR) departments contribute to procedural backlogs, increased staff overtime, and reduced patient and provider satisfaction. Improving FCS is a recognized operational priority in IR workflow optimization. Materials and Methods: A prospective quality improvement study was conducted in a tertiary-care academic IR department over 12 months. Baseline metrics were collected for 3 months, including the proportion of on-time FCS (patient entry within 15 minutes of scheduled start). A multidisciplinary intervention was implemented: standardized patient arrival times, a pre-procedure nursing checklist, daily morning huddles, and real-time case tracking. Primary outcomes were on-time FCS rate, daily case volume, room turnover time, and staff overtime hours. Statistical analysis used chi-square and paired t-tests (significance: p < 0.05). Results: On-time FCS increased from 41% to 78% post-intervention (p < 0.001). Mean daily case volume rose from 7 to 8 cases per IR suite (12% increase). Room turnover time improved by 10 minutes (p = 0.02), and staff overtime hours decreased by 21%. Root cause analysis revealed delays from incomplete labs and late arrivals. Staff reported improved communication and morale. Conclusion: A structured, multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative significantly improved first case start times, procedural throughput, and staff efficiency in a hospital-based IR department. These findings support the adoption of standardized workflow interventions to enhance operational performance in IR practice.

Volume

37

Issue

4S

First Page

108518

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