The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Imaging Case Volumes in Aseer Region: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on global health systems. The aim of this study was to evaluate how imaging volumes and imaging types in radiology departments have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic across different locations. Methods: Imaging volumes in the Aseer region (in the south of Saudi Arabia) across main hospitals were reviewed retrospectively including all cases referred from different locations (outpatient, inpatient and emergency departments). Data for years 2019 and 2020 were compared. The mean monthly cases were compared using a t-test. Results: The total imaging volumes in 2019 were 205,805 compared to 159,107 in 2020 with a 22.7% overall reduction. A substantial decline was observed in both the April to June and the July to September periods of approximately 42.9% and 44.4%, respectively. With respect to location, between April and June, the greatest decline was observed in outpatient departments (76% decline), followed by emergency departments (25% decline), and the least impact was observed in inpatient departments, with only 6.8% decline over the same period. According to modality type, the greatest decreases were reported in nuclear medicine, ultrasound, MRI, and mammography, by 100%, 76%, 74%, and 66%, respectively. Our results show a statistically significant (p-value ≤ 0.05) decrease of cases in 2020 compared to 2019, except for mammography procedures. Conclusion: There has been a significant decline in radiology volumes due to COVID-19. The overall reduction in radiology volumes was dependent on the stage/period of lockdown, location, and imaging modality.

A systematic review of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on breast cancer screening and diagnosis

“…A subtotal of 41 [ 14 , 15 , 20 , 21 , 29 , 30 , [32] , [33] , [34] , 37 , 40 , 42 , 44 , [49] , [50] , [51] , [52] , [53] , [54] , [55] , [56] , [57] , [58] , [59] , [60] , [61] , [62] , [63] , [64] , [65] , [66] , [67] , [68] , [69] , [70] , [71] , [72] , [73] , [74] , [75] , [76] ] and 12 [ 20 , 21 , 42 , 65 , [77] , [78] , [79] , [80] , [81] , [82] , [83] , [84] ] studies reported diagnosis, and breast imaging outcomes, respectively. Key results from the individual studies are summarised narratively below, and presented in more detail in Table 2 and AppxTable F.6-F.8 ( Appendix F ).…”

“…In medical imaging studies or studies with a mixed screening and symptomatic population (AppxTable F.8a), the number of mammography examinations during the pandemic [ 20 , [77] , [78] , [79] , [80] , [81] , [82] , [83] , [84] ] generally showed a relative reduction of between 8.9% [ 84 ] and 92.7% [ 81 ], with 67% (6/9) of studies reporting cumulative (or average) reductions of 9%–37% [ 20 , [77] , [78] , [79] , 82 , 83 ]. In an additional 6 studies of symptomatic populations (AppxTable F.8b) [ 20 , 21 , 29 , 37 , 42 , 73 ], a similar reduction was found for the number of diagnostic mammography (range: 4.7%–83.8%) with half of the studies observing reductions between 4% and 21% [ 20 , 29 , 42 ].…”

Impact of a Targeted Project for Shortening of Imaging Diagnostic Waiting Time in Patients with Suspected Oncological Diseases in Hungary

“…Nevertheless, there was the possibility that the patients who did not present for follow-up or who, based on the data from the university’s medical system, did not appear to have presented before a multidisciplinary team, may have received care at another institution. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic also introduced changes in patient pathways, as it did in other countries involved with this pandemic [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ].…”

The Impact of Data Management on the Achievable Dose and Efficiency of Computed Tomography During the COVID-19 Era: A Facility-Based Ambispective Study

“…Nevertheless, studies addressing the impact of COVID-19 on imaging volume in Saudi Arabia are scarce. An observational study conducted by Alelyani et al 19 demonstrated a 21.27% reduction in the overall imaging conducted across chief hospitals in the Aseer region (located in the southern part of Saudi Arabia). Our study depicted the way our facility-based experience and data, which utilized management software for the standardization and optimization of CT protocols, helped to overcome the downward trend in the frequency of imaging reported by other hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”