title: An analysis of the costs of a hospital-wide Picture Archiving and Communication System with the software package CAPACITY.
abstract: Within the scope of the Dutch PACS project, the costs of a hospital wide PACS in the Utrecht University Hospital were estimated, with the help of the software package CAPACITY. The cost analysis was based on the most recent specifications of the costs of the equipment, on extrapolations, and on the experience acquired with a PACS prototype in the Utrecht University Hospital. Savings due to a possible reduction in the length of stay, or due to logistic improvements were not taken into account. The results indicate that the extra costs of a hospital wide PACS would amount to 3.2% of the total hospital budget. By taking into account the expected price movements, it is predicted that a hospital wide PACS may allow enough savings to pay itself back, when installed near the turn of the century. The result of this cost analysis depends on a large number of assumptions. Therefore two sensitivity analyses are carried out, i.e., concerning the number of workstations required and concerning the organizational impact of PACS.
authors.affiliation: BAZIS, Central Development and Support Group Hospital Information System, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: van Gennip
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: van Poppel
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Ottes
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kouwenberg
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Wilmink
mesh_terms: D003199:Computer Systems / Q000191:economics; D011873:Radiology Information Systems / Q000191:economics*; D012984:Software