Soft copy using image processing in place of hard copy for detection of subtle pulmonary lesions: is it actually cost-effective?
OBJECTIVE
To comparatively assess the interpretation performance of hard-copy versus soft-copy presentations for detecting subtle pulmonary lesions and to estimate soft-copy cost-effectiveness.


METHODS
Computed radiography was used to obtain images with a 1,600x 1,200 matrix having 8 bits of gray-scale definition. The two separate image formats (hard and soft copy), which consisted of 60 chest radiograph combinations, were shown to five board-certified radiologists. The costs of hard copies, chemicals, waste disposal, and labor were calculated.


RESULTS
The mean accuracies and Az values were 0.63 (hard) vs. 0.64 (soft) and 0.657 (hard) vs. 0.729 (soft), respectively. Reading one set of hard copies took on average 8.0 sec less than reading soft copies (30.3 vs. 38.3 sec). Estimated savings resulting from replacement of hard copy with soft were US$128,004 per year or US$6.20 per patient at our hospital.


CONCLUSIONS
Conversion from hard copy to soft copy, using image processing, is feasible and cost-effective.
Abe
Katsumi
K
Received March 4, 2004; revision accepted April 20, 2004. Department of Radiology, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan.
Kosuda
Shigeru
S
Iwasaki
Yoshie
Y
Hama
Yukihiro
Y
Kaji
Tatsumi
T
Kusano
Shoichi
S
Ozeki
Yuichi
Y
Ichihara
Kiyoshi
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017046:Cost Savings; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003626:Data Display; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000191:economics; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000191:economics* / Q000295:instrumentation; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation; D011871:Radiology / Q000191:economics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation; D014962:X-Ray Film / Q000191:economics
D017744:Medical Waste Disposal