Patent Document ID: 20110066449
Application ID: 12942355
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for forecasting radiology read demand and radiologist staffing within a future time period, comprising: obtaining historical demand information from historical data values of radiology read requests, the historical data values recorded during a past period of time wherein the past period of time provides one or more equivalent characteristics to the future period of time; obtaining future demand information relating to changes to radiologist availability and radiology read request volume expected to occur prior to or during the future period of time; forecasting, based on the historical demand information and the future demand information, a probability and timing of the changes to radiologist availability and radiology read request volume expected to occur prior to or during the future period of time; calculating expected radiologist availability for the future period of time by factoring the forecasted probability and timing of the changes to radiologist availability; calculating expected radiology read request volume for the future period of time by modifying the historical data values with the forecasted probability and timing of the changes to radiology read request volume; and comparing the expected radiology read request volume with the expected radiologist availability for the future period of time, thereby predicting any shortfall or excess in radiologist staffing levels.