Protocol design and optimization.
J Am Coll Radiol. 2014 May;11(5):440-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2014.01.021.
Boland GW1, Duszak R Jr2, Kalra M3.
Abstract
Ultimately, all medical care should be designed and then delivered with the goal of improving patient outcomes and experience. What constitutes a positive encounter will vary from one patient to another (eg, pain relief in terminal cancer vs curative resection in operable oncologic disease), so care pathways should be tailored to address individual patients' needs. This tenet holds as true for imaging as for any other specialty. In this series, we have argued that delivering better patient care can be achieved through an understanding of the imaging value chain.