The length of time necessary to break even after converting to digital mammography

The cost differences between film-based mammography (FBM) and digital mammo graphy (DM) were estimated after discussions with hospital personnel and in dustry representatives. Human resource costs were not included. The fixed c ost of FBM per machine was estimated to be $50,000 and the variable cost $4 .60 per examination. The fixed cost of DM per machine was estimated to be $ 102,000 and the variable cost $0.10 per examination. The total number of ex aminations required to break even was therefore 11,556. At a rate of 15 exa minations per machine per day and with 251 working days per year, it would take 3,1 years to break even. in the first year after the break-even point had been attained, $16,943 would be saved for every 3765 examinations perfo rmed. Extrapolating to the USA as a whole, in which 23 million mammographic examinations are performed each year, suggests that the annual savings fro m going filmless would be more than $103 million.