Author: Christina Brunnquell, Diana Elizabeth Carver, Jaydev K. Dave, Hadley Anna DeBrosse, Hannah Grover, Andrew M. Hernandez, Youngkyoo Jung, Megan E. Lipford, Kevin J. Little 👨🔬
Affiliation: Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, University of California, Mayo Clinic, The Ohio State University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, University of Minnesota 🌍
Purpose: Medical imaging physicists play a crucial role in ensuring patient safety, overseeing quality control (QC) of imaging systems, and enhancing diagnostic accuracy. Medical imaging physicists have the technical expertise and inherent responsibility to help drive more sustainable practices. This work summarizes the current landscape of sustainability in medical imaging and discusses initial experiences of medical physicists in implementing sustainability initiatives.
Methods: We conducted a literature review on sustainability in medical imaging and identified four primary areas for sustainable practice improvement: energy consumption of imaging modalities, life cycle analysis (LCA), iodine waste and recycling, and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and radiology workstation energy consumption.
Results: Medical imaging accounts for about 10% of national emissions attributed to US healthcare. Understanding the energy consumption characteristics of imaging modalities and IT infrastructure is critical for identifying potential opportunities for energy savings. Energy is wasted in the non-productive states of workstations and imaging equipment, thus there is potential for energy savings through optimizing patient scheduling, utilizing low-energy modes, and powering down equipment when not in use. Obtaining and interpreting LCA for imaging equipment and material usage can help departments make informed purchases and assess environmental impacts. Iodine contrast waste can potentially be reduced by using weight-based protocols, optimizing contrast vial sizes, and utilizing established recycling programs. Collaborations with vendors, other institutions, environmental engineers, and facility managers are needed to implement sustainability initiatives in a clinical practice.
Conclusion: This work identifies targets for sustainability efforts in medical imaging. Our findings reveal numerous opportunities for healthcare facilities to significantly reduce their environmental impact, providing potential roadmaps for more widespread adoption.