John J Petta

US Patent:

6401055, Jun 4, 2002

Filed:

Oct 29, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/430569

Inventors:

John Joseph Petta - Waukesha WI

Assignee:

General Electric Company, Inc. - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

G06F 1760

US Classification:

702182, 705 2, 705 5, 600407

Abstract:

A method and system for measuring and quantifying inefficiencies in a medical procedure such as a radiological procedure. Inefficiencies are measured and quantified by collecting a plurality of characterization measurements, where each characterization measurement corresponds to an individual step in the procedure. Once the measurements are collected, a sum of squares analysis is performed on them to determine the effect of each step on the procedure. The process steps are further analyzed to determine the activities within them that have the highest impact on the time needed to complete the task or tasks that make up the step. These tasks or key drivers are then subjected to a regression analysis to determine their effect on the time to complete the procedure. The key drivers may then be changed to adjust the procedure as desired.