Overview

Digital Radiography has already demonstrated significant improvements in image quality and diagnostic utility at leading facilities worldwide. To gain widespread acceptance, however, Digital Radiography equipment must be able to demonstrate:

• Long-term cost-efficiency.

• Improvements in patient care.

• Greater satisfaction among referring physicians.

Examination throughput is the common denominator among these criteria.

The results of the Methodist Hospital in Houston indicate that Digital Radiography can meet the demands of today's cost-constrained healthcare providers while continuing to deliver consistent, outstanding, quality images.

Background

In February, 2000, The Methodist Hospital installed its first GE Revolution XQ/i Digital Radiographic imaging system. This leading-edge equipment takes a unique approach to digital imaging, employing a one-piece Amorphous Silicon panel with a Cesium Iodide scintillator to help ensure the highest image quality, as well as PathSpeed networking technology for rapid image transfer and therefore outstanding patient care.

Methodist compared the Revolution XQ/i systems productivity performance with that of conventional two-view analog Film-Screen and Computed Radiography (CR) chest imaging.

Digital Radiography reduces Exam times by 62%

Methodist study assessed the exam times associated with two-view, PA and lateral chest studies conducted during a typical 40-hour work week.
All exams were timed from the arrival of the patient in the exam room through patient release.

*This result is conservative. The film and CR measurements were conducted at Methodist branches that serve outpatients only. The DR measurements were done on 92% inpatients and 8% outpatients. Because inpatients are less ambulatory, their exam times are longer than those of outpatients. When considering only the outpatients, the average DR exam time was 86 seconds (1:26 min). This represents a 72% savings compared to film/screen, and corresponds to one Revolution XQ/i system replacing 3.5 Film-Screen systems.

Dramatic improvements in exam time compared to conventional imaging methods.

On average, the Digital Radiography procedures reduced exam times by 62% compared to conventional Film-Screen imaging, and by nearly 67% compared to Computed Radiography.

This exam-time reduction is made possible because of Digital Radiography nearly instantaneous image display, the technologist ability to perform Quality Control immediately, the elimination of film processing and CR cassette handling, and reduced retakes.

Digital Radiography speeds image delivery by 98%

The Methodist Hospital also found that, once a Digital Radiography or CR exam was completed, it required just two minutes for the images to be made available to radiologists for reading. In contrast, conventional films required an average of 169 minutes to be ready for reading.

Digital Radiography and CR therefore reduced the time required for image availability by 98%.

Variable cost savings are equally significant

Digital Radiography conducted with the Revolution XQ/i system appears to offer equally significant savings in terms of variable costs such as labor, film and processing supplies. The Methodist Medical Center determined their total savings to be $6.92 per exam, or $94,743 annually over the facility average of more than 13,000 chest studies per year. Other radiographic procedures with more than two views would result in an even greater savings.

Both conventional Film-Screen and CR images require relatively lengthy handling and processing before they are ready for radiologist review. On the other hand, the digital Revolution XQ/i system displays acquired images in just seconds and accommodates automatic networking of the images to the attending radiologist PACS workstation.

Conclusions

Both conventional Film-Screen and CR images require relatively lengthy handling and processing before they are ready for radiologist review.

On the other hand, the digital Revolution XQ/i system displays acquired images in just seconds and accommodates automatic networking of the images to the attending radiologist PACS workstation. Furthermore, it reduces film costs to negligible levels, while virtually eliminating post-exam film-management time, labor costs and film library space requirements. What's more, these throughput improvements offer users potentially significant improvements in patient comfort and referring-physician satisfaction. Patients can spend less time in the Radiology Department, and referring physicians can receive images and radiologists reports more quickly than ever before.

The magnitude of these improvements suggests that Digital Radiography in general, and the Revolution XQ/i in particular, can address a busy facility's need for improved cost-efficiency, lower variable costs, greater patient comfort and enhanced satisfaction on the part of referring physicians and radiology staff alike.