The financial burden of imaging tests conducted in the emergency department of a teaching hospital: a brief report

Objective: Each imaging technique has a special application and usage, and should be used in the right situation. Physicians choose the type of imaging technique by considering the type of tissue and the benefits and disadvantages of the imaging method as well as its financial burden on the patient. The aim of this study was to estimate the cost of imaging tests performed in the emergency department (ED) of an educational hospital and determine their financial burden on both the patients and the healthcare system of the country. Methods: This retrospective descriptive cross-sectional single-center study was conducted in Shohadaye Tajrish, an educational hospital, during one year. The study population consisted of all patients who had undergone some type of imaging (CT scan, ultrasound, radiography, magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) in the ED. The information was collected using a predesigned checklist. The costs of a variety of imaging methods for patients referred to the ED were calculated using different types of accounting units and PACS system. Results: The number of patients who visited the ED of the studied hospital during a one year period was ۶۳۵۰۷. The total cost of performing different types of imaging methods in the studied center throughout the one-year target period was ۴۴۰۱۸۶۹۵۶۹۵ Rials (≃US ۴۲۳۷۴۵) (۵۹.۲۷% of which was spent on CT scan, ۱۶.۰۹% on ultrasound, ۱۳.۷۵% on plain radiography and ۱۰.۸۷% on MRI). Conclusion: According to the collected data, the total cost of radiology was ۴۴۰۱۸۶۹۵۶۹۵ Rials. The highest cost was related to CT scan modality, and the lowest belonged to MRI.

کلیدواژه ها:

costs ، Cost analysis ، Emergency Service ، Hospital ، Radiology ، Iran