Scanner-Based Protocol-Driven Ultrasound: An Effective Method to Improve Efficiency in an Ultrasound Department

OBJECTIVE. For ultrasound, a wide variation is often observed among the number and sequence of images acquired for a particular examination type. Scanner-based protocols are preset pathways in the ultrasound machine that guide a sonographer through the required study images. These protocols can streamline image acquisition by improving consistency and efficiency of ultrasound examinations. This study evaluated whether implementation of scanner-based protocol-driven ultrasound improves efficiency by decreasing the scanning duration and number of images acquired. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Retrospective evaluation of 437 carotid Doppler examinations, 395 complete abdominal ultrasound examinations with Doppler imaging, and 413 bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler examinations for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) performed by five sonographers before and after implementation of scanner-based protocol-driven ultrasound was performed. The scanning duration and number of images acquired for each study were recorded....