Adoption of a RIS-PACS system in a hospital: cost-benefit analysis

Abstract

Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is one of the most widely used evaluation methods for studying the effects of different programs on the allocation of resources and the well-being of the involved agents. Therefore, it is possible to assess the cost-effectiveness of a PACS by analysing the relationship between costs and savings. A complete digitalization of the radiology acquisition, reporting and archiving process leads to a significant improvement in the quality of reporting, allowing the radiologist to intervene directly on the image display, making it faster and more accurate. The savings resulting from the implementation of the PACS can only be appreciated after some time; they take the form of a reduction in the running costs of the Diagnostic Imaging Service, above all due to the lower consumption of X-ray films. Secondly, there is a reduction in the number of staff employed in activities related to film processing and the redistribution of the space required for archives. A proper financial plan and a dilution of the required investment over several years allow an improvement of the systems to be achieved without increasing the costs for the company.