Early-Stage Radiology Volume Effects and Considerations with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic:...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Healthcare Management
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic led to reduced healthcare utilization due to public health measures.
• Non-urgent medical imaging services experienced significant disruptions.
• Academic medical systems (AMSs) and private practices faced challenges in maintaining service volumes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiology imaging volumes.
• To compare volume changes across different regions (high vs. low COVID-19 surge) and practice types.
• To identify imaging modalities most affected and assess adaptive strategies.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis comparing 2020 weekly imaging volumes to 2019 baseline volumes.
• Data collected from six AMSs (three high-surge, three low-surge) and a national private practice coalition.
• Calculations included overall, outpatient, emergency, and inpatient studies across 14 modalities.

Main Results:

• Radiology volumes dropped significantly, ranging from 40% to 70% in AMSs during peak pandemic weeks (weeks 11-17).
• Screening mammography and DXA scans saw the largest decreases, while PET/CT, X-ray, and interventional radiology had smaller declines.
• Inpatient imaging volume was less affected than outpatient or emergency services.

Conclusions:

• The pandemic caused substantial, albeit temporary, reductions in radiology imaging volumes, especially for screening examinations.
• High-surge areas and screening studies experienced more pronounced volume declines.
• Imaging modalities with critical diagnostic implications showed greater resilience, suggesting perceived risk influenced volume preservation.