54. The Turnaround Time Trap

Report turnaround time is easy to track - and faster certainly feels better. But does a faster report actually mean better patient care? And what happens when speed becomes a benchmark tied to physician performance and payment?In this episode of Contrast & Clarity, Nadja Kadom, MD joins us to discuss her JACR review article examining the evidence (or lack thereof) behind national turnaround-time benchmarks - and why uniform thresholds may overlook differences in case complexity, workflow, practice setting, and the work that can actually increase value. Then, quality and safety expert Anand Singh, MD takes the conversation one step further: turnaround time may be a useful measure of operations and capacity, but is it really a measure of quality and patient safety?Find the full JACR article here: https://www.jacr.org/article/S1546-1440(26)00290-5/fulltext