Reducing the carbon footprint of radiology through automatic workstation shutdown protocols

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Healthcare Management
• Energy Efficiency

Background:

• Healthcare systems significantly contribute to carbon emissions, with the UK National Health Service (NHS) responsible for 4% of national CO2 emissions.
• Radiology departments have high energy demands due to HVAC, scanners, and numerous workstations, presenting opportunities for emission reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of an automatic power-off/on protocol for radiology workstations on energy consumption, carbon emissions, and financial savings.
• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of this protocol as a sustainability measure in an acute hospital trust.

Main Methods:

• Collected power usage, CO2 emissions, and energy cost data from 88 workstations before and after implementing an automatic shutdown protocol.
• The protocol ensured workstations were powered off during out-of-hours periods and weekends.

Main Results:

• Average weekly workstation on-time decreased from 148 to 75.5 hours.
• Achieved an annual energy saving of 17 MWh, a reduction of 3.4 tonnes CO2 equivalent, and a financial saving of £5000.
• No workflow disruptions or user complaints were reported.

Conclusions:

• The automatic power-off protocol is an effective and easily replicable sustainability measure for radiology departments.
• While individual workstation savings are modest, broader implementation across hospital networks can yield substantial environmental and financial benefits.
• This intervention highlights the potential of addressing human factors in power management for improved healthcare sustainability.