title: Financial assessment of a picture archiving and communication system implemented all at once.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the differential cost between film-based radiology and a hospital-wide picture archiving and communication system (PACS) implemented all at once. The cash flow and running costs of PACS and film-based operation were measured over an 8-year time horizon. When the hospital-wide PACS was implemented over a short period, there was instant conversion into digital film and archives. The net present value (NPV) for PACS operation is US $1,598,698, whereas the NPV for film-based operation is US $2,083,856, indicating a net saving of US $485,157. The payback period is 4 years. The costs of computed radiography and image plates account for 40% of the initial capital expenditure in PACS implementation, followed by computer hardware (30%) and software (9%) costs. Our experience shows that implementation of hospital-wide PACS all at once can produce cost savings. For hospitals intending to go filmless, this study offers a model for financial evaluation of PACS to help in decision making.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Taipei City Hospital Heping Branch, 33 Sec 2 Chung-Hwa Rd, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. ycf32@yahoo.com.tw
authors.forename: Ying-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Ming-Chin
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ya-Seng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Hsueh
mesh_terms: D000703:Analog-Digital Conversion; D002681:China; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D011873:Radiology Information Systems / Q000191:economics*; D014962:X-Ray Film