Elsevier

Academic Radiology

Volume 27, Issue 10, October 2020, Pages 1353-1362
Academic Radiology

Original Investigation
Imaging Volume Trends and Recovery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Analysis Between a Large Urban Academic Hospital and Its Affiliated Imaging Centers

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2020.08.008Get rights and content

Rationale and Objectives

While affiliated imaging centers play an important role in healthcare systems, little is known of how their operations are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal was to investigate imaging volume trends during the pandemic at our large academic hospital compared to the affiliated imaging centers.

Materials and Methods

This was a descriptive retrospective study of imaging volume from an academic hospital (main hospital campus) and its affiliated imaging centers from January 1 through May 21, 2020. Imaging volume assessment was separated into prestate of emergency (SOE) period (before SOE in Massachusetts on March 10, 2020), “post-SOE” period (time after “nonessential” services closure on March 24, 2020), and “transition” period (between pre-SOE and post-SOE).

Results

Imaging volume began to decrease on March 11, 2020, after hospital policy to delay nonessential studies. The average weekly imaging volume during the post-SOE period declined by 54% at the main hospital campus and 64% at the affiliated imaging centers. The rate of imaging volume recovery was slower for affiliated imaging centers (slope = 6.95 for weekdays) compared to main hospital campus (slope = 7.18 for weekdays). CT, radiography, and ultrasound exhibited the lowest volume loss, with weekly volume decrease of 41%, 49%, and 53%, respectively, at the main hospital campus, and 43%, 61%, and 60%, respectively, at affiliated imaging centers. Mammography had the greatest volume loss of 92% at both the main hospital campus and affiliated imaging centers.

Conclusion

Affiliated imaging center volume decreased to a greater degree than the main hospital campus and showed a slower rate of recovery. Furthermore, the trend in imaging volume and recovery were temporally related to public health announcements and COVID-19 cases.

Key words

COVID-19
Pandemic
Radiology operation
Imaging volume
Service locations

Cited by (0)

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Min Lang and Tristan contributed equally to the work.

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Marc D. Succi and Brent P. Little contributed equally to the work.

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