The Technical Assistant Model: Efficiency in Maternal Fetal Medicine

Abstract

Objective: To analyze how technical assistants benefit diagnostic medical sonography settings by improving efficiency and patient care. Materials & Methods: Credentialed obstetric sonographers who currently work in maternal fetal medicine were surveyed. Closed-ended and open-ended questions were used to examine effectiveness, usefulness, and overall satisfaction with the technical assistant position. In addition, quantitative methods were used to compare the time efficiency of technical assistants with medical assistants in obstetric settings. Results: The majority of sonographers and providers view technical assistants in a positive manner and indicated that the existence of the technical assistant role improved clinic flow. When compared with studies regarding medical assistant efficiency, this study showed shorter wait times for patients. Conclusion: The data supports that the presence of a technical assistant in clinic increases the overall efficiency of the clinic, which could allow providers to see more patients and reduce wait times for critical appointments. This could also lead to a more cost-effective system, especially when compared to alternative options such as hiring more providers or sonographers. These findings should encourage obstetric and gynecological sonography clinics to implement trained technical assistants to address clinic inefficiency, sonographer burnout, and sonographer and practitioner satisfaction.