Benefits of Diagnostic Imaging Systems
The benefits of digital diagnostic imaging (DI) systems to Canadians and their health care providers are making a difference every single day across the country. Digitized diagnostic images, including X-rays, ultrasounds, MRI and CT scans, enable clinicians to view patient images no matter the location of the test or clinician. The sharing of remote access to files is made possible by Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS).
The Diagnostic Imaging Benefits Evaluation Report, commissioned by Infoway, highlights various benefits derived digital diagnostic imaging and PACS. The following results were obtained from the evaluation and assume an eventual 100 per cent pan-Canadian implementation of PACS.
Clinician benefits
Health care professionals, including doctors, radiologists and technologists, all benefit from the PACS systems. The elimination of a film environment is helping to offset the physician shortage. That’s because health care professionals are being provided with the electronic tools they need to improve their productivity and efficiency.
Physicians
- Increased productivity level is equivalent to adding up to 500 physicians to the health care system.
- Increased capacity of between 6 million and 7 million 10-minute physician consults delivered annually.
Radiologists
- 25 to 30 per cent improvement in radiologists’ productivity.
- Increased productivity level equivalent to adding more than 500 radiologists to the health care system.
- Increased capacity of between 9 million and 11 million exam reports at the current professional resource level.
Technologists
- 25 to 30 per cent improvement in technologists’ productivity.
- Increased productivity level equivalent to adding up to 2,900 technologists to the health care system.
- Increased capacity of between 8 million and 10 million exam reports at the current professional resource level.
Patient Benefits
- Elimination of up to 17,000 unnecessary patient transfers annually.
- Enhanced remote reporting capabilities, improving access to radiologists by 30 to 40 per cent for remote geographies and populations.
- 30 – 40 per cent improvement in exam report turnaround times provides quicker clinical decisions and subsequent patient treatment thus reducing patient wait times and patient lengths of stay.
Other Benefits
- Once fully implemented across the country, it is estimated that PACS will generate $850 million to $1 billion a year in health system. efficiencies through increased clinical productivity and reduced patient transfers, duplicate exams and film costs.
- Reduced film, storage space and staffing expenses can cover the costs of implementing and operating PACS.
- Avoidance of 800,000 to 1.3 million unnecessary exams annually.