The cost of managing digital diagnostic images.

A study of the cost of recording and archiving digitally formatted diagnostic images is presented for an academic radiology department serving a 614-bed university hospital and a large outpatient population. The radiological examinations include computed tomography, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, and digital radiography. The archiving management strategies studied include the combined use of computer magnetic tapes, computer disc storage, and multiformat video film recordings. The estimated cost per patient for the archiving of digital diagnostic images is presented.