Dashboard

In 2008, the Advisory Board in Washington, D.C. published an essay titled, “The Challenge of Measurement.” They reported their essay findings based on a review of 88 dashboards. Within these 88 dashboards, they uncovered more than 300 discrete metrics. They also reported that currently, no set of core measures exist to address the unique characteristics and strategies of every imaging department. The researchers distilled the collection of 300 performance indicators to a list of approximately 75 measures worthy of consideration for all organizations. On the first page of this essay, The Advisory Board declares, “Many valued metrics lack reliable external benchmarking sources, requiring administrators to engage in the inexact science of applying internal standards.” This is the foundation  from which ProFusion was created.

In 1982, the founding partner of Imaging Fusion began collecting data and counted everything that could be counted. The initial discovery was an inverse relationship between compensation and productivity. After many years of measuring productivity per RVU per individual technologist it displayed a trend. The data mining revealed technologists are most productive from new graduate to five years of experience. After five years of experience, a technologist’s productivity drops. After ten years of experience, a technologist’s productivity significantly drops. The most expensive technologists were the least productive and the least expensive technologists were the most productive. With this data as a guide, action steps were identified. The experiential hiring rates in Diagnostic Radiology were set to a maximum of five years. The result was a highly productive, inexpensive payroll. For 18 years, the Cost/Exam in a metropolitan NYC hospital averaged $50/exam. The external benchmark at that time averaged $70/exam. Because it was unknown at the time, they had no idea how their performance compared.

Over the course of 28 years, the collection of data grew and grew. Over the years, hundreds of thousands of data sets created credible, meaningful external benchmarks. Reliable benchmarks were created in several different areas as well. These benchmarks have been used to improve the performance at many facilities. What was commonly discovered was that medical imaging managers, from all over the country, blindly worked in silos. Many kept dashboards, but they still had no idea if their performance was excellent or poor. Imaging Fusion formed to elinate the silo’s in imaging management. ProFusion was designed to create dynamic comparative data. ProFusion provides a foundation of six high-level industry averages, which imaging managers can use to ensure appropriate use of  data demonstrating areas for improvement. Given the breadth and width of imaging management, managers are usually overloaded with data. Plus, department priorities change so rapidly managers rarely have the time to confidently prioritize their metrics. ProFusion quickly, easily, and simply charts the way. Using ProFusion’s dashboard clearly shows the manager what areas in their department need attention. ProFusion guides a busy manager in the right direction. Rather than an over-populated dashboard with excessive metrics, the ProFusion dashboard delivers meaningful data, and the resources to improve performance.