Cost Implications of Oral Contrast Administration in the Emergency Department: A Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing Analysis.

Purpose: To quantify the monetary and time costs associated with oral contrast administration in the emergency department (ED) for patients with nontraumatic abdominal pain and to evaluate the cost savings associated with an institutional policy change in the criteria for oral contrast administration.

Methods: A HIPAA-complaint, institutional review board-approved time-driven activity-based costing analysis was performed using both prospective time studies and retrospective data obtained from a quaternary care center. Retrospective data spanned a 1-year period (January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016).