Tag: computers

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How To Learn Buttonology As A Radiologist

buttonology

When starting in radiology, the trickiest items to learn are often not the images, procedures, or concepts. Instead, figuring out what buttons to push to find what you want can be the most challenging. Electronic health records, PACs (picture and archiving systems), dictation software, and internet access and use can vary widely from institution to institution in quality and useability. And you may find that figuring it out can take a very long time, especially learning it efficiently. So, how do you set yourself up to learn the ropes when you need to figure this all out? Let me give you tips on how to go about learning all this technological buttonology.

Set Some Extra Time To Play Around With Buttonology

Time is your friend. Spending time practicing with the dictation or the PACs system is the best way to gain familiarity. Anyone can show you the buttons to press, but the chances of remembering how you did it can be close to zero. Only after manipulating the controls can you get used to how the software functions. And, it’s even better when looking at real-world cases. For me, software like Tera Recon has only become relatively easy to use after the tenth time I have processed a cardiac CTA. Also, I remember spending extra time trying to create templates on Powerscribe for dictation so that it was easy to do and could serve me well later on with numerous dictation templates. Time spent now will save oodles of time in the future.

Get To Know Your IT Specialists

Most institutions have dedicated staff to maintain and support PACs, RIS, and the internet. Suppose you want to get to know a function or filter better. Sometimes you have to ask them. I have found that I will sometimes spend three times the duration compared to an IT specialist to figure out how to overcome or improve an issue with the PACs station. So, be nice to these blokes!

Ask Your Fellow Residents And Faculty

When learning the buttonology of your systems, this point is not the time to be shy. I have always said that if we put the heads together of all the faculty, we would have the most comprehensive knowledge of how our electronics and software work. We all seem to know bits and pieces of these systems that can increase our efficiency. But, not everyone knows the same things. So, please, also ask your colleagues if you are unsure what to press or when. It can make all the difference.

Don’t Miss The Training Sessions.

Most of us don’t enjoy these training sessions. They usually interfere with our day (and even prevent us from eating lunch!) Nevertheless, take these sessions very seriously. They can enhance your daily efficiency in spades. I still remember when our hospital acquired the new PACs system; I spent a ton of the time making sure the hanging protocol for plain films and priors was suitable. Fast forward to today, and the couple of days I spent with a personal PACs trainer years ago have magnified my daily efficiency by a significant multiple compared to those who didn’t attend. It pays to stick around for the additional attention even though you may experience pain!

The Magic Of Buttonology!

The quality and efficiency of every day depend on much more than just reading films. We need to be aware of how we can slog through the technical work of each day most efficiently by clicking the least amount of buttons and technological obstructions. But, it would help if you spent the time to learn the buttonology. So, give yourself some extra time to get to know each of the systems, ask your colleagues and staff if unsure, and do not miss any additional training sessions. Missing out on any of these extra steps will divert you from your ultimate target of maximizing your efficiency!

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My Experience With The Powerscribe Undo Button: A Call For Better Technical Radiologist Training!

undo button

I find one button on Powerscribe more satisfying than almost any other. No, it’s not the sign button, although signing off a study feels quite rewarding. Indeed, it’s not the auto text button. However, I press that one all the time to make my templates. And it does shorten my dictation time. Instead, it is that button typically buried in the edit menu of Powerscribe, the lowly undo button. I can’t tell you how many times I clicked the wrong button to lose half my dictation. And then I clicked on the Undo button to restore it to how it was.

Most of you are aware of this undo function. It returns anything you did before to its previous state as long as it was a line of spoken text, a cut, or a paste. But imagine not knowing about its existence. Well, that was my world as an attending physician for a good year or two. Now, it is embarrassing to release this information to the masses. But I have to let it out. It is true. I spent eons trying to recreate what I had dictated before without knowing there was a simple way to retrieve the information. I was not aware of the existence of the undo button for way too long. Imagine that.

The Undo Button: A Symptom Of A Bigger Problem With Radiology And Technology

This point about the undo button brings me to one of the most significant technical radiology issues. We, as radiologists, don’t know about so many computer and technology functions that can potentially make our lives easier and shorten our days. Now, maybe this issue is somewhat magnified because I have reached middle age, but I don’t think that is the case.

I have seen younger physicians, like residents and early attendings, who need to learn how to link two studies together and compare them slice by slice. I have seen other attendings needing to be made aware of the simple functions of our software for calcium scoring, which would have saved them tons of time. And there are many other time-saving technology tools I am unaware of. If all the radiologists were to pool their technology know-how together, we would all shave off an extra hour of work every day. So, why do we not receive the technical training we need to make us more efficient at our job?

Radiologists Do Not Receive Formal Training Because We Are Expected To Learn On Our Own

Many radiologists jump headfirst into the world of dictation and PACS without receiving any formal training. Many of you who work for hospitals and imaging centers know what I am talking about. As a resident, I cannot remember any technology folks training the residents on using PACS. That same philosophy has continued throughout the years. Hospitals and imaging centers expect us to use our highly paid professional time to figure it all out independently.

Technology Trainers Don’t Know How To Train Radiologists

Several things happen when we get the “training” we need from the technology folks. First, they show you what you can do and allow you to play around with everything. And then they say you need to use it for a while to get accustomed to it. While that is undoubtedly true, we often miss out on multiple functions and knowledge that can increase our efficiency. The problem is that the technology experts training you are not radiologists. And they will never know the most important functions we need to use.

Lack Of Time/Money Dedicated Toward Training

Or, once in a while, you will get an excellent technology expert who will try to help you by creating hanging protocols, setting easy keys, and more. Some may become irritated when they realize they need to sit down with you for an extended period to make the technology precisely how you like. Or, the institution received a package deal that included limited training for the radiologists. The bottom line is that you may receive less education than you need.

Learning The Undo Button: A Simple Solution To Improve Workplace Efficiency

So, why do I bring up an entire blog about a simple undo button and the issues that go along with it? Well, it is a cry for good, down-to-earth technology instruction that every radiologist should have. We, as radiologists, hear about burnout and misery all the time. But, it is the little things that make radiologists happy. Radiologists are highly paid professionals who should become as efficient as possible to save time and money. Many excellent radiologists have left the field because of simple technology inefficiencies such as this one. Coming home 20 minutes earlier every day to be with our families should be a much bigger priority for radiology practices and hospitals. Improving radiologists’ technical and computer training is a simple and relatively inexpensive fix.