A novel approach to optimize workflow in grid-based teleradiology applications.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This study proposes an infrastructure with a reporting workflow optimization algorithm (RWOA) in order to interconnect facilities, reporting units and radiologists on a single access interface, to increase the efficiency of the reporting process by decreasing the medical report turnaround time and to increase the quality of medical reports by determining the optimum match between the inspection and radiologist in terms of subspecialty, workload and response time.

METHODS: Workflow centric network architecture with an enhanced caching, querying and retrieving mechanism is implemented by seamlessly integrating Grid Agent and Grid Manager to conventional digital radiology systems. The inspection and radiologist attributes are modelled using a hierarchical ontology structure. Attribute preferences rated by radiologists and technical experts are formed into reciprocal matrixes and weights for entities are calculated utilizing Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The assignment alternatives are processed by relation-based semantic matching (RBSM) and Integer Linear Programming (ILP).

RESULTS: The results are evaluated based on both real case applications and simulated process data in terms of subspecialty, response time and workload success rates. Results obtained using simulated data are compared with the outcomes obtained by applying Round Robin, Shortest Queue and Random distribution policies. The proposed algorithm is also applied to a real case teleradiology application process data where medical reporting workflow was performed based on manual assignments by the chief radiologist for 6225 inspections.

CONCLUSIONS: RBSM gives the highest subspecialty success rate and integrating ILP with RBSM ratings as RWOA provides a better response time and workload distribution success rate. RWOA based image delivery also prevents bandwidth, storage or hardware related stuck and latencies. When compared with a real case teleradiology application where inspection assignments were performed manually, the proposed solution was found to increase the experience success rate by 13.25%, workload success rate by 63.76% and response time success rate by 120%. The total response time in the real case application data was improved by 22.39%.