Abstract:

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle method in improving the quality control indicators of breast ultrasound diagnosis.

Methods

This study was performed at the Ultrasound Department of Xiamen Third Hospital, where the PDCA cycle method was introduced into the breast ultrasound diagnosis quality control system starting in January 2024 to manage quality control.A retrospective analysis was performed on breast ultrasound quality control indicators before (January-December 2023) and after (January-December 2024) implementing the PDCA cycle method.The indicators included: the rate of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) classification in breast lesion ultrasound reports, the diagnostic accuracy rate of breast masses by ultrasound, the qualification rate of breast ultrasound report writing, and the qualification rate of breast ultrasound image sections.The Mann-Whitney U non-parametric test was used to compare the differences in these indicators before and after PDCA implementation.

Results

After implementing the PDCA cycle method, the BIRADS classification rate (85.22% vs 67.01%), the diagnostic accuracy rate of breast masses (80.49% vs 71.79%), and the qualification rate of image sections (80.06% vs 60.12%) all showed significant improvements compared to those of the pre-implementation period (Z=-3.984, P＜0.001; Z=-2.288, P=0.020; and Z=-4.025, P＜0.001, respectively).The qualification rate of report writing increased slightly from 97.92% to 98.51%, but this difference was not statistically significant (P＞0.05).

Conclusion

The PDCA cycle method significantly optimizes core quality indicators for breast ultrasound examinations, demonstrating particularly notable effects in standardizing classification reporting and image acquisition.This method can effectively advance the standardization process in breast ultrasound diagnosis.

Key words: Ultrasound, Quality control, PDCA cycle method, Breast lesions