Role Activity Diagram-Based Workflow Modelling of Imaging Service Delivery Process in Radiology

摘要

A simulation of workflow models is an important problem solving technique within healthcare settings. However, currently most of the workflow model design use as an input a simplified flow chart of patient flow obtained based on on-site observations and interviews, complemented with historic patient data. This is insufficient in modelling important interactions between clinical staffs, equipments and patients causing that the resulting models are often incomplete and unrealistic what leads to the oversimplified outputs from the conducted simulations. This paper presents a systematic methodology for the development of workflow model from interview transcripts of the staffs involved in the imaging service delivery process. The presented methodology is based on the Role Activity Diagram (RAD) representation which allows to model roles, interactions, actions, and decision questions involved in imaging service delivery process. The necessary knowledge acquisition for the development of the RAD diagram is based on the protocol generation and analysis techniques which include: (i) semi-structured interviews with the key staffs; (ii) marking the RAD concepts in transcripts; (iii) building the matrix based relationships; and (iv) generating the RAD model. The methodology is demonstrated through a case study of magnetic resonance (MR) scanning process of radiology department in a large hospital.