Quantifying the decrease in emergency department imaging utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic at a multicenter healt
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Quantifying the decrease in emergency department imaging utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic at a multicenter healthcare system in Ohio Keval D. Parikh 1 & Nikhil H. Ramaiya 1 & Elias G. Kikano 1 Jeffrey L. Sunshine 1 & Donna M. Plecha 1
&
Sree Harsha Tirumani 1 & Jonathan Pierce 1 & Carl Butcher 1 &
Received: 20 May 2020 / Accepted: 25 August 2020 # American Society of Emergency Radiology 2020
Abstract Purpose To illustrate the change in emergency department (ED) imaging utilization at a multicenter health system in the state of Ohio during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted assessing ED imaging volumes between March 1, 2020, and May 11, 2020, during the COVID-19 crisis. A rolling 7-day total value was used for volume tracking and comparison. Total imaging utilization in the ED was compared with new COVID-19 cases in our region. Utilization was first categorized by modality and then by plain films and computed tomography (CT) scans grouped by body part. CT imaging of the chest was specifically investigated by assessing both CT chest only exams and CT chest, abdomen, and pelvis (C/A/P) exams. Ultimately, matching pair-wise statistical analysis of exam volumes was performed to assess significance of volume change. Results Our multicenter health system experienced a 46% drop in imaging utilization (p < 0.0001) during the pandemic. Matching pair-wise analysis showed a statistically significant volume decrease by each modality and body part. The exceptions were non-contrast chest CT, which increased (p = 0.0053), and non-trauma C/A/P CT, which did not show a statistically significant volume change (p = 0.0633). Conclusion ED imaging utilization trends revealed through actual health system data will help inform evidence-based decisions for more accurate volume predictions and therefore institutional preparedness for current and future pandemics. Keywords COVID-19 . Imaging utilization . Multimodality
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a wide spectrum of impact on the medical community throughout the USA. Since the World Health Organization officially labeled COVID-19 a
global pandemic on March 11, 2020, both US federal and state policies rapidly evolved to curtail the spread of the virus [1, 2]. Healthcare systems attempted to limit the number of patients they serve to decrease the risk of exposure by postponing nonessential imaging studies and procedures [2]. These
* Elias G. Kikano [email protected]
Carl Butcher [email protected]
Keval D. Parikh [email protected]
Jeffrey L. Sunshine [email protected]
Nikhil H. Ramaiya [email protected] Sree Harsha Tirumani [email protected] Jonathan Pierce [email protected]
Donna M. Plecha [email protected] 1
Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University, 11100 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
Emerg Radiol
restrictions, in combination wit
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