[Waste of resources as a result of cancelled or delayed diagnostic imaging of hospitalized patients].
BACKGROUND
When diagnostic imaging is cancelled on short notice or an examination is delayed, the Imaging Department suffers a loss. Based on voluntary reporting of such events, we have estimated the total expenditure involved.


METHODS
For one year an orderly reported cases in which, when he arrived to fetch an inpatient, the latter was no longer in the ward or was not ready. From this study material we estimated the waste of time for the staff and the total price of cancelled or delayed examinations, spread over various categories. This sum is related to the estimated cost of one preventive measure: letting the orderly check in the hospital's electronic administrative system whether the patient is still in the ward indicated.


RESULTS
A total of 436 cancelled or delayed examinations were reported in 2004. In 249 cases the examination was cancelled, and since the recorded total number of cancellations was 1,435, we estimate the total number of cancelled or delayed exams to be approximately 2,500 (1,435 x 436/249). The estimated total waste of time is 66 weeks (1(1/2) years' work). The estimated price of the cancelled or delayed examinations is 2.4 million Danish kroner. When we relate the savings if the problem is solved to the cost of prevention, we find that it would be clearly profitable to address fluoroscopy and CT scanning. Conversely, addressing bone X-rays would generate a loss.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that there is a very large waste of resources caused by cancelled or delayed imaging examinations.
Mantoni
Margit Y
MY
Amtssygehuset i Gentofte, Billeddiagnostisk Afdeling, Hellerup. mama@gentoftehosp.kbhamt.dk
D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003718:Denmark; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006300:Health Services Misuse / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D009684:Nuclear Medicine Department, Hospital / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data