Use of Advanced Imaging Techniques During Visits to Emergency Departments--implications, Costs, Patient Benefits/risks

Overview

Journal Br J Radiol

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Radiology

Date 2015 Dec 24

PMID 26693970

Citations 7

Authors

Elizabeth A Dick

Dinesh Varma

Elika Kashef

John Curtis

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

25 years ago, on a Friday evening at 9 pm, the emergency department (ED) was full of patients with a wide range of clinical problems. Their investigations included plain radiographs, but no other imaging was included until the next working day. At present, many patients are receiving advanced imaging such as ultrasound, CT and MRI, often delivered out of hours--an obvious advance for patients or sometimes an unnecessary development? In this article, we will consider how to assess patient benefits and whether increased use of advanced imaging is an overall advance for patients. We will address the general implications for healthcare services which come with greater use of advanced imaging. We will then address the effect of advanced imaging on individual fictional ED patients with a variety of complaints.

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