Radiology departments can cut costs and save the planet by limiting ultrasound waste
Radiology departments can potentially cut costs and preserve the planet by limiting waste tied to ultrasound imaging delivery, according to new research.
Previous sustainability pushes in radiology have focused on CT and MRI, which use large amounts of energy and are a common source of greenhouse gas emissions. However, experts are urging the specialty to also analyze the deployment of ultrasound, according to a new study published in the April issue of JACR.
The modality uses a high volume of linens, gels and other disposable supplies that also can have a significant global carbon footprint in radiology, experts note.
“…Our study highlights the need to look beyond equipment and take a more comprehensive, systems-based approach to sustainability,” co-author Diana Carver, PhD, an associate professor of clinical radiology at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, said in a statement April 8.
The study examined the use of ultrasound at a large academic hospital serving adult inpatients, outpatients, and emergency department visitors. Different from other modalities, ultrasound’s use of linens such as bed sheets or table paper accounted for about 35% of its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Disposable supplies such as gloves or ultrasound gel also were a large contributor at 34%, overshadowing other categories such as production of ultrasound equipment (7%) and energy use (3%).
Based on the results, Carver and colleagues urged radiology departments to optimize the use of linens and disposable supplies to reduce costs and their environmental impact. They urged others to consider alternative materials with lower environmental impact such as sustainably sourced, organic cotton for linens and compostable alternatives to plastics.
“Sustainability is starting to be framed more as a quality improvement and operational efficiency problem,” Florence X. Doo, MD, MA, director of innovation at the University of Maryland Medical Intelligence Imaging Center, said in a statement. “We need to do this right to reduce waste, improve our energy and optimize our workflow so we can do better as radiologists.”
Read more in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.