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Q Bulletin, Volume 1, No. 32 (Supplement 1), Jan - Dec 202412th National QA Convention, 8 %u2013 10 October 2024QLL-103Enhancing Efficiency in Chest X-ray Examinations at Hospital Baling, KedahAinunnadiah D2, Rosli Y1, Tan YS1, Hanisah T3, Azhani Haliyati AY2, Halimatun Saadiah H4,Selvanaayagam S21 Radiology Department, Hospital Baling, Kedah2Administrative Of ice, Hospital Baling, Kedah3 Emergency Department, Hospital Baling, Kedah4IT Unit, Hospital Baling, KedahSELECTION OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT:Chest X-ray (CXR) examinations in the Emergency Department (ED) of Hospital Baling, Kedah,currently take over two hours, leading to numerous complaints and negatively impacting patient care.Since the ED accounts for 70% of total X-ray services and CXR examinations comprise 60% of thisvolume, urgent improvement is needed to reduce CXR turnaround times.KEY MEASURES FOR IMPROVEMENT:National guidelines highlight the importance of timely radiological exams but do not specify duration.Literature reports a mean of 38 minutes with filmless imaging. We aim to reduce the mean turnaroundtime (TAT) for completing CXR examinations in the ED to 90 minutes, from request to completion.PROCESS OF GATHERING INFORMATION:This quality improvement study, conducted from October 2022 to December 2023, included verification,strategy implementation, and post-intervention phases. Data on TAT and cost implications were collectedfrom departmental records. Workflow inefficiencies were identified through meetings, observations,interviews, and documentary research, while a survey assessed the perceived impact of interventionsamong users.ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION:Pre-intervention (October to December 2022), the mean TAT for CXR was 123 minutes (ABNA = 33minutes), with seven bottlenecks due to manual processes and the absence of a Picture Archiving andCommunication System (PACS), straining both human resources and budget.STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE:Digitalisation through the cost-efficient implementation of the Medical Programme Information System(MPIS) replaced manual processes, eliminating bottlenecks.EFFECT OF CHANGE:Post-intervention, the mean TAT from October to December 2023 improved to 67 minutes, with 99.34%of examinations (n=2568) completed within 90 minutes, resulting in 79% cost savings. Survey resultsshowed that 73.9% of respondents agreed that MPIS improved workflow efficiency, 73.2% wereconfident using the system, 69.8% reported a positive impact on patient care, and 70.6% recommended itscontinued use (mean = 3.97).THE NEXT STEP:The next step is to expand this initiative to include cases from health clinics.195 | Page