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If you feel like your doctor orders an MRI or CT scan about every time you go for an exam, you’re not alone. A new study shows use of sophisticated scanning technology doubled between 1995
and 2004, according to a study by researchers at Stanford University and Harvard University. The costs associated with more scanning have risen, too, but there is little evidence that the
technology has led to better healthcare or fewer deaths.
The study, published today in the journal Health Affairs, found the number of MRI procedures per 1,000 Medicare beneficiaries increased from 0.3 in 1985 to 50 in 1995 and 173 in 2004. Each
new MRI unit on the market led to 733 additional MRI procedures, adding $550,000 to Medicare spending annually.
CT scans more than doubled from 235 per 1,000 in 1995 to 547 per 1,000 in 2005. Each new CT unit on the market prompted 2,224 additional CT scans and added $685,000 to the yearly Medicare
bill.
The authors of the study note that even in managed care plans, where there is no real financial incentive to use imaging, it’s often difficult to assess which scans are worth having and
which are not. They called for more research to determine whether the benefits of the technologies are worth the extra costs.
The study is part of a themed issue of Health Affairs on medical technology.