Use of mri, ct scans soars -- as do costs

Nov. 10, 2008 9 AM PT _This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts._ 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. > ‘We pay for a lot of things that make us happier, but don’t > necessarily make us healthier,’ said the 

lead author of the study, > Laurence Baker of Stanford. The study is part of a themed issue of Health Affairs on medical technology. -- Shari Roan