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Table 5 Cost–benefit analysis for digitized versus conventional informed patient consent (D-IPC vs C-IPC)

From: Digitized and structured informed patient consent before contrast-enhanced computed tomography: feasibility and benefits in clinical routine

Total count of IPC forms = 2016

Years

1

2

3

4

5

D-IPC

C-IPC

D-IPC

C-IPC

D-IPC

C-IPC

D-IPC

C-IPC

D-IPC

C-IPC

A. Personnel—Operational Costs (€)

A-1. IPC preparation and patient assignment by technicians or support staff

4233.6

4233.6

4233.6

4233.6

4233.6

4233.6

4233.6

4233.6

4233.6

4233.6

A-2. Manually archiving IPC forms by technicians or support staff

0

4233.6

0

4233.6

0

4233.6

0

4233.6

0

4233.6

A-3. Estimated time effort of physicians to complete IPC process

6048

6048

6048

6048

6048

6048

6048

6048

6048

6048

A-4. Costs of wrong archival storage and retrieval efforts

0

84.7

0

84.7

0

84.7

0

84.7

0

84.7

B. IT service—operational costs (€)

B-1. Installation process (server software)

7500

2000

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

B-2. Installation process (tablet device)

1080

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

B-3. Maintenance and Support Services

3168

0

3168

0

3168

0

3168

0

3168

0

B-4. Network/Hosting Services

243

243

243

243

243

243

243

243

243

243

B-5. Costs per analog questionnaire (50 cents)

0

1008

 

1008

0

1008

0

1008

0

1008

B-6. Cost per digital questionnaire (40 cents) and digital signature (20 cents)

1209

0

1209

0

1209

0

1209

0

1209

0

C. Hardware—operational costs (€)

C-1. Physician tablet (n = 2)

1600

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

C-2. Patients tablet (n = 10)

4000

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

C-3. Energy costs tablets

63.6

 

63.6

 

63.6

 

63.6

0

63.6

0

C-4. Paper costs

0

40.32

0

40.32

0

40.32

0

40.32

0

40.32

C-5. Printing costs

0

282.24

0

282.24

0

282.24

0

282.24

0

282.24

D. others—operational costs (€)

D-1. Disposal of informed patient consent documentation (after 30 years)

0

n/a

0

n/a

0

n/a

0

n/a

0

n/a

E. Quality improvement of patient care

E-1. High availability and readability of patient information in each workplace

++

++

++

++

++

E-2. Pre-filled questionnaire forms for recurrent CT examinations

++

++

++

++

++

E-3. Structured access and evaluation to red flag questions for potential contraindications

++

++

++

++

++

E-4. Ease of use for patients with reduced digital literacy

+

+

+

+

+

Total costs per annum (€)

29145.2

17971.5

14965.2

15971.5

14965.2

15971.5

14965.2

15971.5

14965.2

15971.5

Total costs (€) (5 years)

Digitized informed patient consent

89006 (+ 8.7%)

Conventional informed patient consent

81857.3