Economic Analysis of Conventional Radiography Using Film and Computed Radiography

Conventional radiography with film (CRF) has been used for diagnostic purposes for a long time now. The radiographers have found it to be a useful tool for assessing a variety of problems. Recent technological advancements have made it feasible to have digital solutions for radiography problems that are more cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and also have superior image quality in some applications than CRF. A computed radiography (CR) image is captured using imaging plates rather than a CRF. The latent image is stored in photosensitive phosphors on the imaging plate. This plate is then inserted into a reader and converted into a digital image. The ability to reuse the imaging plates is a significant advantage and cost-effective feature of this system, as opposed to photographic film, which can only capture a single image and cannot be reused. Computed radiography significantly reduces costs by eliminating the need for chemicals such as film developers and fixers, as well as the need for a storage room. It also helps to reduce the costs associated with waste disposal due to conventional radiography. The major disadvantages of using CR system include the initial cost, need for training and making the necessary changes for the new system. Apart from the initial cost of the CR System, based on the data collected from the center, from the year 2008 to 2012 (until June 2012) a total of 581,566 images were produced with the total cost incurred using film based system being USD 4,652,528. If the same number of images were produced using a CR system the total cost incurred would have been USD 82,600. Taking into consideration the cost of a new CR system to be USD 120,000 the overall cost of producing these images is USD 202,600. It is observed that an amount of USD 4,449,928 could have been saved over the period of 5 years starting from 2008 to 2012 by using the CR system at BMC. The system with a net positive difference is more cost advantageous than the alternative, according to the concepts of cost-benefit analysis. When compared to traditional x-ray radiography, computed radiography is unquestionably more cost-effective for usage at BMC, according to the results of the two analyses mentioned above.