PACS in an intensive care unit: results from a randomized controlled trial

Stirling Bryan; Gwyneth C. Weatherburn; Jessamy Watkins; Samantha Walker; Carl Wright; Brian Waters; Jeff Evans; Martin J. Buxton

doi:10.1117/12.319780

13 July 1998 PACS in an intensive care unit: results from a randomized controlled trial

Stirling Bryan, Gwyneth C. Weatherburn, Jessamy Watkins, Samantha Walker, Carl Wright, Brian Waters, Jeff Evans, Martin J. Buxton

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 3339, Medical Imaging 1998: PACS Design and Evaluation: Engineering and Clinical Issues; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.319780
Event: Medical Imaging '98, 1998, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

The objective of this research was to assess the costs and benefits associated with the introduction of a small PACS system into an intensive care unit (ICU) at a district general hospital in north Wales. The research design adopted for this study was a single center randomized controlled trial (RCT). Patients were randomly allocated either to a trial arm where their x-ray imaging was solely film-based or to a trial arm where their x-ray imaging was solely PACS based. Benefit measures included examination-based process measures, such as image turn-round time, radiation dose and image unavailability; and patient-related process measures, which included adverse events and length of stay. The measurement of costs focused on additional 'radiological' costs and the costs of patient management. The study recruited 600 patients. The key findings from this study were that the installation of PACS was associated with important benefits in terms of image availability, and important costs in both monetary and radiation dose terms. PACS-related improvements in terms of more timely 'clinical actions' were not found. However, the qualitative aspect of the research found that clinicians were advocates of the technology and believed that an important benefit of PACS related to improved image availability.

Citation Download Citation

Stirling Bryan, Gwyneth C. Weatherburn, Jessamy Watkins, Samantha Walker, Carl Wright, Brian Waters, Jeff Evans, and Martin J. Buxton "PACS in an intensive care unit: results from a randomized controlled trial", Proc. SPIE 3339, Medical Imaging 1998: PACS Design and Evaluation: Engineering and Clinical Issues, (13 July 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.319780

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