AutoAssign FAQ

How does variable time bunkering work?

• New bunker time logic. Bunkering will begin at 3:00pm (as before) OR earlier if volume hits a high point (defined as the median reader predicted to still hit 6 RVU/hr by the end of their shift if bunkering were to start now). This basically bunkers early on a heavy volume day to spread more work to the next day and workload balance day-to-day.
  

• Because bunker time might vary, and to help identify which studies to bunker, we’re going to try a new bunker workflow. At bunker time, AA will automatically assign appropriate studies (routine outpatient CT/MR) to .Read,Comm Routine as a “pre-bunker”. The PM person or whoever wants to help can use that as a list of studies to check, then assign those to the normal bunker assuming there are no emergent findings.
  

When do assignments stop?

• Shifts ending before 5PM stop 1 hour before the end of your shift. XC3 and 4 are assigned CR only until 15 minutes before end of shift. The last cross sectional study is assigned no later than 1 hour before the end of your shift.

Why did the program assign a STAT study?

• In rare cases a tech will perform and OK a study as routine priority, then later change it to STAT after the autoassign program has already started working. That is the only time this will happen. We’re working with the techs in the rare case where that happens.
  

Why did the program assign an academic study to me?

• Same as above. If the tech erroneously assigns it to UWMF and then marks it as reviewed, Autoassign starts. Even if they then assign it to UH, that assignment will get overwritten when Autoassign finishes.
  

Should I take studies from another rad if they have a lot of work to do?

• Always ask first. If they are >1 hour from the end of their shift, the study you take from them will be replaced by the system soon in order to keep their total numbers balanced with the rest of the group, so it ends up not helping them very much. After they are no longer being assigned it will help them, but again please ask first.
  

Can I read bunker cases in advance of my shift so I can keep up better during the day?

• Yes. That may change if it becomes a problem, but a key feature of this system is giving folks some flexibility in when routine studies get read. I think one would be on their honor not to cherry pick excessively, just as in the mornings. Credit is given for reading a study on the day the report is signed, so if you read the night before, sign the report on the day of your shift. Like everything else, don’t go crazy. Part of the purpose of the bunker is for AM people to have something to do. If this becomes popular we can make the bunker bigger, but for now keep early reading to a handful of studies max.

What if I get assigned a case but don’t sign it off until the next day?

• At the moment you get credit for the study on both days. If it becomes a problem I’ll develop a solution but I need to make sure people appropriately get credit for reading old bunker cases or old specialty read pool studies. So if you need to hold over a case for a consult or some other reason by all means do so, but try not to go overboard

What if there’s an emergency ______ that takes an extreme amount of time and I can’t get the work done?

• Normal ups and downs in a day are expected but when there’s something really exceptional, I think we can all count on our partners to help out. All the studies are routine so there’s no rush. Just let the PM person know and make arrangements to throw studies back into the pool when you stop getting cases assigned.

Can I turn off autoassign during meetings?

• Technically, yes. We may tweak the guidelines in the future, but the mechanism is to ask Julie or Melody during your shift to adjust Qgenda to make your start time later in the day. Autoassign works on RVUs/hr of shift, so if it thinks you have 1 hour less in your shift, it gives you 1 hour less work overall during the day. Just remember that those extra studies get sent to your partners so make sure the meeting is really necessary and that you can’t multitask through it.

Autoassign gave me a _____. I don’t read ______.

• I haven’t gotten many of these lately, but please let me know. If you are getting too many or too few of a subspecialty-type study, I can adjust that.

The program assigned me a BMD from Richland.

• Richland BMDs are erroneously labeled as CRs for some crazy reason in PACS. Tyler and I have been pushing them to fix this. Until they do, Autoassign treats it like a normal CR. If you don’t read BMDs, just re-assign it to a community read pool.
  

I've read a large volume already. Why am I still getting cases assigned?

• Cases are assigned roughly evenly across the section but if you are caught up (<1 RVU unread and assigned to you), AA will try to give you a case to prevent boredom. This is called the "Bored coefficient" and is intended to make you happier. If it doesn't, let me know and I can adjust it for you.