Process Improvement: What Is It, Why Is It Important, and How Is It Done?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to provide enough information so beginners can feel comfortable starting and completing a simple radiology process improvement project. CONCLUSION: Medical practices (including radiology departments) need to address outstanding quality and safety issues that threaten their patients. Addressing these issues improves patient care and operational efficiency. We provide a review of our approach to process improvement and the established improvement methods. Many organizations and companies are available to support medical practices as they enter this field.