Nuclear Medicine National Headquarter System

<p>The Nuclear Medicine National HQ System database is a series of MS Excel spreadsheets and Access Database Tables by fiscal year. They consist of information from all Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) performing or contracting nuclear medicine services in Veterans Affairs medical facilities. The medical centers are required to complete questionnaires annually (RCS 10-0010-Nuclear Medicine Service Annual Report). The information is then manually entered into the Access Tables, which includes: * Distribution and cost of in-house VA - Contract Physician Services, whether contracted services are made via sharing agreement (with another VA medical facility or other government medical providers) or with private providers. * Workload data for the performance and/or purchase of PET/CT studies. * Organizational structure of services. * Updated changes in key imaging service personnel (chiefs, chief technicians, radiation safety officers). * Workload data on the number and type of studies (scans) performed, including Medicare Relative Value Units (RVUs), also referred to as Weighted Work Units (WWUs). WWUs are a workload measure calculated as the product of a study's Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code, which consists of total work costs (the cost of physician medical expertise and time), and total practice costs (the costs of running a practice, such as equipment, supplies, salaries, utilities etc). Medicare combines WWUs together with one other parameter to derive RVUs, a workload measure widely used in the health care industry. WWUs allow Nuclear Medicine to account for the complexity of each study in assessing workload, that some studies are more time consuming and require higher levels of expertise. This gives a more accurate picture of workload; productivity etc than using just 'total studies' would yield. * A detailed Full-Time Equivalent Employee (FTEE) grid, and staffing distributions of FTEEs across nuclear medicine services. * Information on Radiation Safety Committees and Radiation Safety Officers (RSOs).  Beginning in 2011 this will include data collection on part-time and non VA (contract) RSOs; other affiliations they may have and if so to whom they report (supervision) at their VA medical center.<em>Collection of data on nuclear medicine services' progress in meeting the special needs of our female veterans.</em> Revolving documentation of all major VA-owned gamma cameras (by type) and computer systems, their specifications and ages. * Revolving data collection for PET/CT cameras owned or leased by VA; and the numbers and types of PET/CT studies performed on VA patients whether produced on-site, via mobile PET/CT contract or from non-VA providers in the community.* Types of educational training/certification programs available at VA sites * Ongoing funded research projects by Nuclear Medicine (NM) staff, identified by source of funding and research purpose. * Data on physician-specific quality indicators at each nuclear medicine service.* Academic achievements by NM staff, including published books/chapters, journals and abstracts. * Information from polling field sites re: relevant issues and programs Headquarters needs to address. * Results of a Congressionally mandated contracted quality assessment exercise, also known as a Proficiency study. Study results are analyzed for comparison within VA facilities (for example by mission or size), and against participating private sector health care groups. * Information collected on current issues in nuclear medicine as they arise.  Radiation Safety Committee structures and membership, Radiation Safety Officer information and information on how nuclear medicine services provided for female Veterans are examples of current issues.The database is now stored completely within MS Access Database Tables with output still presented in the form of Excel graphs and tables.</p>