System and method for tracking medical imaging quality

• US 8,428,969 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NU Design Medical Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atirix Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Hahn, Jerad J., Krocak, Ryan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOODS, TERESA S
• Application Number:
  US11/335,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,651 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 600/300, 601/2, 378/207, 383/128, 707/805, 382/128
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

The mammography management system can provide for quality control of devices associated with the system. A method is provided for monitoring the quality standards of a mammography facility. The method can comprise generating a report that analyzes information collected in preselected data fields on the performance of a resource after automatically executing a quality control test plan configured for the resource at a preselected time. The quality control test plan is configured based on resource type.

A method can provide for monitoring the quality of exams performed on a plurality of patients. The method comprises generating a report automatically analyzing and organizing information collected on the accuracy of exams preformed on the plurality of the patients into statistics. These statistics can compare the information based on a radiologist or a facility with other radiologists other facilities or overall statistics for a plurality of radiologists or a plurality of facilities.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computer system for monitoring medical imaging quality standards, the method comprising:

completing a plurality of worksheet data files, which are selected by a user from a preprogrammed set of worksheet data files templates corresponding to distinct types of quality control tests, with quality control data obtained by running a plurality of quality control tests on one or more medical imaging devices, wherein the one or more medical imaging devices comprises a mammography imaging device, an FFDM imaging device, an MRI imaging device, an X-ray imaging device, or an ultrasound imaging device,

wherein a quality control test relates to whether a medical imaging device is functioning correctly and comprises a signal-to-noise quality control test, a contrast-to-noise quality control test, an artifact evaluation quality control test, a detector flat-field calibration quality control test, a phantom image quality control test, a softcopy workstation quality control test or a softcopy workstation quality level quality control test; and

wherein the completing of each worksheet data file comprises automatically generating a worksheet data file corresponding to a quality control test run on a medical imaging device;

wherein the worksheet data file is configured with preselected data fields defining at least test metrics based upon the specific medical imaging device type, the date the quality control test was run, an identifier for the medical imaging device, and the identity of the quality control test, and automatically populating values in at least some of the preselected data fields and

wherein the generating the worksheet comprises displaying on a screen a graphical representation of the worksheet data file corresponding to the selected template and corresponding test as well as an input button that can be actuated to confirm completion of the worksheet data file within the database and corresponding storage of the completed worksheet and;

maintaining a database comprising a plurality of completed worksheet data files; and

generating a report of information collected in at least some of the plurality of worksheet data files contained in the database.

2. The method of claim 1:

wherein a plurality of reports are generated; and

wherein the reports are accessible by designated authorized users through a web portal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the preselected data fields comprises a preprogrammed data field selected by a user for collecting information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the report is defined by a user selecting preprogrammed criteria.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the generated report comprises a graph.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the report comprises results of the quality control tests for determining whether the medical imaging device is functioning properly.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a quality control test plan specifies a schedule for running the at least some of the quality control tests on at least one medical imaging device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the quality control test plan specifies that the at least some of the plurality of quality control tests are run periodically.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the occurrence frequencies comprises daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annually.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein some of the information entered in the preselected data fields on the performance of the medical imaging device is received from a testing device for measuring the performance of the medical imaging device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the quality control test plan directs the performance of a quality control test on the medical imaging device to generate data received by a worksheet.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein the report is based on comparing a test value to a medical imaging device standard for a pass/fail status, and

wherein the test value is derived from performing calculations on data received from performing a quality control test of the quality control test plan on the medical imaging device.

13. A computer system comprising a processor, memory and a program that implements the method of claim 1 on the processor.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the report is generated for conducting an audit.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the entering of values in at least some of the preselected data fields comprises the user entering values in at least some of the preselected data fields.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the test metrics comprise a signal-to-noise and/or contrast-to-noise values.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the test metrics comprise artifact evaluation data, phantom image data or detector flat-field calibration data.