Cross-sectional Study on Utilization of Radiology and Imaging Equipment in the District Hospitals of Bangladesh

Abstract

A quality diagnosis mostly depends on the availability and proper utilization of radiology and imaging equipments in the modern medical technology. Every year, huge amount of revenue is spent to purchase costly and sophisticated radiology and imaging equipments for the district hospitals of Bangladesh. But radiology and imaging equipments are underutilized in most of the developing Asian and African countries, including Bangladesh. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to find the functional status, workload, utilization, and factors affecting the utilization of radiology and imaging equipments in the district hospitals of Bangladesh. Interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to take interview of relevant human resources. Work time study method was applied where multiple checklists were used to measure consumed time for each procedure and daily actual work time of radiology and imaging equipments. In this study, 46.9% radiology and imaging equipments were found functional, 40.6% radiology and imaging equipments nonfunctional, and 12.5% radiology and imaging equipments functional but not in use. This study revealed that 53% of total radiology and imaging equipments of district hospitals were nonfunctional, and functional but not in use, where 8 equipments became nonfunctional before 10 years due to unavailability of spare parts and inadequate maintenance fund. Work time in radiography identified 83.51% and in ultrasonography (USG) 71.08% among the respondents of radiology and imaging department in the district hospitals. Utilization rate of general radiography equipments was found to be 67.01%, portable radiography equipments 16.5%, and USG equipments 71.08%. Average utilization rate of radiology and imaging equipments was found to be 51.53% in the district hospitals of Bangladesh. Utilization rate of radiology and imaging equipments more than 50% is considered as standard utilization. Current status of utilization rate needs to accelerate to get maximum turnover of the equipments among the district hospitals of Bangladesh. Important factors affecting the utilization of radiology and imaging equipments were observed -shortage of manpower, inadequate physical infrastructure, and less incorporation of advanced technology with existing facility.

A Study of Optimal Utilization of Radio-diagnostics at Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, Wardha, India

“…It won't be an exaggeration if we would call medical imaging the heart of the medical science. Most of the medical health condition diagnosis cannot be confirmed without the help of the Radiology and imaging equipment [1]. Most of Indian or Asian hospital lead sufficient man power to operate the equipment and much equipment lose their shelf life due to inappropriate handling and physical infrastructure [1].…”