The rate of advanced diagnostic imaging and associated radiation exposure at integrated healthcare systems has increased significantly from 1996 to 2010, according to a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers studied advanced diagnostic imaging use at six large integrated health systems from 1996 to 2010. Advanced diagnostic imaging includes CT, MRI, nuclear medicine and ultrasound.
From 1996 to 2010, CT examinations increased 7.8 percent annually, MRI use increased 10 percent annually and ultrasound rates increased 3.9 percent annually. While the overall use of nuclear medicine decreased 3 percent annually from 1996 to 2010, PET imaging, which is a nuclear medicine imaging tool, increased 57 percent annually from 2004 to 2010.
The increased use of CT from 1996 to 2010 led to increased radiation exposure, doubling the mean per capita effective dose and the proportion of enrollees who received high exposure and very high annual radiation exposure.
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Researchers studied advanced diagnostic imaging use at six large integrated health systems from 1996 to 2010. Advanced diagnostic imaging includes CT, MRI, nuclear medicine and ultrasound.
From 1996 to 2010, CT examinations increased 7.8 percent annually, MRI use increased 10 percent annually and ultrasound rates increased 3.9 percent annually. While the overall use of nuclear medicine decreased 3 percent annually from 1996 to 2010, PET imaging, which is a nuclear medicine imaging tool, increased 57 percent annually from 2004 to 2010.
The increased use of CT from 1996 to 2010 led to increased radiation exposure, doubling the mean per capita effective dose and the proportion of enrollees who received high exposure and very high annual radiation exposure.
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