Success story—Revolutionizing reading workflow with PowerScribe One

Background

Birmingham Radiological Group‑GV division (BRG‑GV) in Birmingham, Alabama, is committed to providing quality healthcare with kindness and clinical excellence. Radiology and imaging services are at the heart of this mission. The group has grown because of increased demand, but its focus on meeting the needs of the ordering clinician community remains paramount. Joel Mixon, MD, a BRG‑GV radiologist with a special interest in quality control, says: “Our group is very clinician‑friendly. We always have doctors coming in and out, or calling to look at cases together and get advice.”

It had gotten so busy in the hospital reading room that Dr. Mixon says the phone could ring 50‑60 times a day as clinicians looked for imaging reports and patient updates. That was partly because—until 2019—the BRG‑GV radiologists still relied 100% on transcription. According to Dr. Mixon, the process was inefficient, sometimes taking as long as two days to have a report available.

Dr. Mixon and several colleagues worked with previous versions of PowerScribe at other sites. After careful consideration of their options, the BRG‑GV team felt confident that moving from transcription to PowerScribe One made sense. “The goal was to remain efficient and not have any breakdowns in our workflow. And, of course, we needed to improve our turnaround times on reports,” he explains.

Results and outcomes mattered, and the PowerScribe One implementation achieved all of its objectives. “An excellent group came together to make it happen. Nuance had a dedicated team to get us up and running, and they were so knowledgeable. The training was great,” says Dr. Mixon.

Efficient workflow makes a difference in saving lives

Since implementing PowerScribe One, the number of phone calls into the hospital reading room has declined by more than 80%. Reports are available to clinicians immediately, which is having a positive impact on patient care. And according to Dr. Mixon, they are saving about 60‑75 minutes per workday on reporting.

For example, he notes that the efficiencies in creating reports now can make a difference in saving lives. “We have a stroke center with protocols. Imaging must be done in a certain amount of time, so if that report is delayed, the care is delayed. But having a treasure like PowerScribe One means we can generate the report in seven minutes; we’re saving patients’ brains.”

Another significant improvement has come with the expanded use of PowerScribe One’s embedded clinical guidelines. Previously, radiologists had to stop and refer to white papers or other decision support documentation, which took time. With PowerScribe One, relevant guidelines are at their fingertips and easily incorporated into the report. He notes, for example, that they are doing 12‑16 thyroid ultrasounds in a day and are now regularly incorporating TI‑RAD guidelines to consistently document follow up recommendations. “You basically document your key findings, hit a button, and it gives you the recommendation with the complete TI‑RADS verbiage. It’s very easy,” he explains.

More time to do what matters most

Dr. Mixon goes on to say that increased efficiency and fewer distractions mean the team can focus on what they’re doing, and still have time to interact and discuss cases with colleagues inside and outside the department. “The quality of work is so much better. Now we can spend more time on teaching our residents in addition to reading our cases.”

Workflow improvements are significant. For example, residents increasingly use the templates and macros within PowerScribe One to streamline report creation. “When we come in the next morning, we review the cases and if we agree with the report, it’s easy to accept it. We may still make tweaks to the report, but it’s still a huge time saver—especially as we get busier and we add more facilities.”

Dr. Mixon has a few recommendations for other groups that may be exploring voice recognition in general and PowerScribe One, in particular: “If reporting, turnaround time, signing reports, and phone calls are making your reading room inefficient, find the money and do this right away. It will revolutionize your practice,” he concludes.