Siemens Healthcare recently used its comprehensive in vivo, in vitro, and IT expertise to conduct a workflow study with University Hospital of Tübingen in Germany. It was aimed at enhancing quality of care for stroke patients by identifying and addressing gaps in the hospital’s radiology and diagnostics processes. The Siemens team worked with hospital staff to conduct a retrospective study with 30 stroke patients who received a computed tomography (CT) scan (imaging), blood coagulation tests (diagnostics), and later, thrombolytic therapy.

The study found that by increasing the efficiency of processes used to transport blood samples to the laboratory and then release laboratory results to physicians, the hospital could further enhance the timeliness of patient care. These process enhancements would deliver diagnostic and imaging test results nearly simultaneously, saving radiologists and neurologists 10 to 15 minutes of wait time, helping them to more quickly diagnose and treat patients. Additionally, the hospital’s new dual-source CT scanner SOMATOM^® Definition could help doctors to determine if a stroke was caused by a hemorrhage or a blood clot (thrombosis) faster.

Moreover, the study found several best practices at Tübingen Hospital, including the use of immediate triage at a patient’s residence and a special stroke emergency unit to treat patients once they arrived at the hospital. To further optimize the benefits of these best practices, the Siemens team recommended a more efficient transfer of patients to the CT scan and of blood samples to the laboratory. They also proposed the possibility of auto-approving coagulation results in the laboratory; sending patients directly to the CT table to initiate intravenous thrombolysis treatment when appropriate; and more efficient post-processing of neurological images.