UC Health Reduced Unnecessary CT Scans in September

A quality initiative at Ohio hospitals avoided thousands of scans and millions in patient costs.

Updated on Sept. 18, 2026 in Stroke

UC Health Reduced Unnecessary CT Scans in September

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Do you trust your doctors to skip tests that you do not actually need?

In September 2026, a 23-month quality improvement campaign at UC Health hospitals successfully eliminated 3,542 unnecessary head and cervical spine CT scans. This initiative resulted in $6.2 million in avoided patient medical charges and significantly lowered radiation exposure.

Why it matters

The program aimed to decrease unnecessary imaging for low-risk trauma patients, improving care efficiency without compromising safety. A subsequent review confirmed the changes caused no patient harm or missed diagnoses.

The initiative prevented 6,021.4 millisieverts of radiation exposure and saved 14,168 hours of patient wait time. Each avoided scan represents an average cost savings of $1,750 per patient.

The players

UC Health

This academic health system operates the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and serves patients across the Cincinnati region.

University of Cincinnati Medical Center

This teaching hospital serves as a primary site for specialized trauma and emergency care in Ohio.

West Chester Hospital

Located in West Chester Township, this facility provides medical services as part of the broader UC Health network.

The details

Physicians at University of Cincinnati Medical Center and West Chester Hospital participated in training on clinical decision rules for trauma imaging. The health system also integrated decision-support software into its electronic health records and provided doctors with quarterly feedback on their ordering patterns.

The quality improvement campaign spanned a 23-month period ending in September 2026.

Health Landscape

This effort follows the standards set by the Choosing Wisely clinical decision support protocols to reduce medical waste. The initiative marks a significant move toward data-driven care, demonstrating how health systems can use automated EHR tools to standardize imaging practices.

Patients benefit from this program through lower medical bills and reduced exposure to ionizing radiation during emergency trauma visits. These changes also shorten the time spent waiting in the emergency department for diagnostic results.

The takeaway

Healthcare providers can significantly improve care efficiency by integrating clinical decision support software directly into physician workflows. Implementing strict imaging guidelines reduces costs and radiation risks without compromising patient outcomes.