Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of an image-sharing network established between referring hospitals and a level I trauma center on CT utilization at the trauma center. Methods: This retrospective study was approved by the local institutional review board. The requirement for informed consent was waived. Harborview Medical Center's trauma registry was linked to billing department data, and detailed information on all resources utilized during each patient's hospitalization was obtained. Negative binomial regression was used to evaluate body region-specific CT utilization between direct-admit and transfer patients after adjustment for potential confounding variables. Special attention was paid to 2005 as the year internet-based image sharing between Harborview Medical Center and referring hospitals was established. Results: A total of 81,159 trauma patients were admitted to Harborview Medical Center (44% transfers) during the study period. The utilization of head CT slightly increased from 1996 to 2005, with no significant difference between direct-admit and transfer patients. Between 2005 and 2010, utilization remained relatively unchanged; however, significantly higher utilization rates were observed for direct-admit patients. A relatively similar pattern was observed for pelvic CT; however, between 2005 and 2010, CT use was greater for direct-admit compared with transfer patients. Abdominal and thoracic CT was relatively unchanged between 2005 and 2010. However, both studies had significantly higher utilization rates for direct-admit patients. Conclusions: The utilization rates of CT of different body regions have been higher for direct-admit trauma patients compared with transfer patients since 2005; however, decreasing utilization trends have been observed in recent years.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 616-622 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of the American College of Radiology |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2014 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- CT
- image sharing
- imaging
- information systems
- patient transfers
- trauma
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
Cite this
Effect of an image-sharing network on CT utilization for transferred trauma patients : A 5-year experience at a level I trauma center. / Psoter, Kevin J.; Sayyar Roudsari, Bahman; Vaughn, Matthew; Fine, Gabriel C.; Jarvik, Jeffrey G.; Gunn, Martin L.
In: Journal of the American College of Radiology, Vol. 11, No. 6, 01.01.2014, p. 616-622.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of an image-sharing network on CT utilization for transferred trauma patients
T2 - A 5-year experience at a level I trauma center
AU - Psoter, Kevin J.
AU - Sayyar Roudsari, Bahman
AU - Vaughn, Matthew
AU - Fine, Gabriel C.
AU - Jarvik, Jeffrey G.
AU - Gunn, Martin L.
PY - 2014/1/1
Y1 - 2014/1/1
N2 - Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of an image-sharing network established between referring hospitals and a level I trauma center on CT utilization at the trauma center. Methods: This retrospective study was approved by the local institutional review board. The requirement for informed consent was waived. Harborview Medical Center's trauma registry was linked to billing department data, and detailed information on all resources utilized during each patient's hospitalization was obtained. Negative binomial regression was used to evaluate body region-specific CT utilization between direct-admit and transfer patients after adjustment for potential confounding variables. Special attention was paid to 2005 as the year internet-based image sharing between Harborview Medical Center and referring hospitals was established. Results: A total of 81,159 trauma patients were admitted to Harborview Medical Center (44% transfers) during the study period. The utilization of head CT slightly increased from 1996 to 2005, with no significant difference between direct-admit and transfer patients. Between 2005 and 2010, utilization remained relatively unchanged; however, significantly higher utilization rates were observed for direct-admit patients. A relatively similar pattern was observed for pelvic CT; however, between 2005 and 2010, CT use was greater for direct-admit compared with transfer patients. Abdominal and thoracic CT was relatively unchanged between 2005 and 2010. However, both studies had significantly higher utilization rates for direct-admit patients. Conclusions: The utilization rates of CT of different body regions have been higher for direct-admit trauma patients compared with transfer patients since 2005; however, decreasing utilization trends have been observed in recent years.
AB - Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of an image-sharing network established between referring hospitals and a level I trauma center on CT utilization at the trauma center. Methods: This retrospective study was approved by the local institutional review board. The requirement for informed consent was waived. Harborview Medical Center's trauma registry was linked to billing department data, and detailed information on all resources utilized during each patient's hospitalization was obtained. Negative binomial regression was used to evaluate body region-specific CT utilization between direct-admit and transfer patients after adjustment for potential confounding variables. Special attention was paid to 2005 as the year internet-based image sharing between Harborview Medical Center and referring hospitals was established. Results: A total of 81,159 trauma patients were admitted to Harborview Medical Center (44% transfers) during the study period. The utilization of head CT slightly increased from 1996 to 2005, with no significant difference between direct-admit and transfer patients. Between 2005 and 2010, utilization remained relatively unchanged; however, significantly higher utilization rates were observed for direct-admit patients. A relatively similar pattern was observed for pelvic CT; however, between 2005 and 2010, CT use was greater for direct-admit compared with transfer patients. Abdominal and thoracic CT was relatively unchanged between 2005 and 2010. However, both studies had significantly higher utilization rates for direct-admit patients. Conclusions: The utilization rates of CT of different body regions have been higher for direct-admit trauma patients compared with transfer patients since 2005; however, decreasing utilization trends have been observed in recent years.
KW - CT
KW - image sharing
KW - imaging
KW - information systems
KW - patient transfers
KW - trauma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84902245643&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jacr.2013.02.014
DO - 10.1016/j.jacr.2013.02.014
M3 - Article
VL - 11
SP - 616
EP - 622
JO - Journal of the American College of Radiology
JF - Journal of the American College of Radiology
SN - 1558-349X
IS - 6
ER -