Inappropriate medical imaging among Medicare enrollees produced an average of 3.55 to 129.2 metric kilotons of carbon dioxide equivalents between 2017 to 2021, according to a study published March 27 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Those emission levels are comparable to greenhouse gas emissions produced by the annual electricity used by a town of 2,000 to 72,000, the study authors said.
The largest proportion of greenhouse gas emissions were attributed to MRI and CT scans, between 0.621-33.8 kT CO2e and 1.24-64.8 kT CO2e, respectively.
Becker’s asked two radiology leaders how they are assessing and reducing their department’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What steps can radiology departments take to assess or reduce the environmental impact of imaging operations? Are there any technologies or protocols your team is exploring to make imaging practices more sustainable?
Andrew Hernandez, PhD. Director of Radiology Sustainability, Assistant Professor of Radiology at University of California Davis:
UC Davis is a nationally and globally recognized leader in sustainability, and the department of radiology is doing our part to ensure we both reduce the environmental impact of our imaging operations and lay the groundwork to help other health systems do the same.
We have launched several comprehensive metering studies to better understand the real-time energy usage in our imaging suites. These studies are tracking energy from the main power, HVAC, and chilled water systems in our existing MRI, CT and PET-CT areas. We have also set building standards that require energy metering in new imaging suite installations. We recognize that we can’t improve what we don’t monitor, and if we are to manage our energy consumption effectively and find paths forward to improve, we must measure it.
Building on our efforts and those of other institutions, we have also identified, and in some cases implemented, solutions to improve the energy efficiency of our radiology practice. These solutions include turning off systems after hours, ensuring systems are in their lowest energy state between patient scans, and working closely with manufacturers to optimize scanner configurations and identify software improvements.
Ultimately, the most sustainable approach is to avoid unnecessary or low-value imaging. We are actively analyzing available energy data to guide smarter, more sustainable clinical decision-making that prioritizes patient outcomes and environmental stewardship.
Jonelle Thomas, MD. Interim Chair for the Department of Radiology at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical (Pa.) Center:
At Penn State Health, the department of radiology is actively addressing environmental concerns by collaborating with Operational Excellence and referring department leaders to reduce the overutilization of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography.
We have recently implemented artificial intelligence software designed to shorten MRI scan times, thereby lowering energy consumption.
Additionally, we launched the AI Lab for Image Innovation to explore sustainable imaging practices. One promising initiative under consideration is the development of AI algorithms that automatically place scanners into energy-saving modes when not in active clinical use.
