Study Evaluates 24-Hour Ultrasound Availability

A study of in-hospital 24-hour sonographer coverage has found that the practice permitted more rapid triage and disposition of emergency department (ED) patients but at an increased cost. However, this cost was offset in the study by the revenues provided by performing additional exams and by the decrease in indirect costs resulting from rapid triage and disposition of ED patients. The study, conducted by researchers at the department of radiology at the University of California-Davis Medical Center (Sacramento, USA), was published in the September issue of Radiology.

The in-hospital sonography coverage in the study covered a six-month period, during which in-hospital sonographers took the place of on-call sonographers for the 11pm to 7am shift. In this period, 792 ultrasound exams were performed, compared to 147 with on-call coverage. The cost for the sonographers was about US$16,000 more than that for on-call coverage. However, this cost would be offset by revenues from just one additional exam per night. The cost per exam for this shift decreased from $124 to $43.

Patients were treated more expediently during the study, noted the investigators. Before this, some patients would have to remain in the ED overnight to await an ultrasound exam the next day, leading to overcrowding. During the study, diagnosis and disposition were faster and beds were made available for new patients more quickly.