Scientific Developments, Broader Imaging Role Drive U.S. Utilization

Rapid increases in utilization of medical imaging take place from new scientific advances that allow clinicians to see inside the human body and that have brought about a major transformation in how clinicians practice medicine and how healthcare is structured, according to Donald Rucker, chief medical officer, Siemens Medical Solutions USA (Malvern, PA, USA), testifying on behalf of the U.S. National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA; Rosslyn, VA, USA) at a hearing of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held on July 18, 2006.

"The power of imaging to offer more precise and less-invasive care has sparked what can only be described as a fundamental transformation in medicine,” said Mr. Rucker in a prepared statement. "Physicians can now use imaging for more conditions, for more patients, and for a much broader array of purposes than ever before.”

According to Mr. Rucker, scientific and technical developments, driven by computing power that doubles every 18 months, have allowed clinicians to provide new kinds of care and in new ways, such as positron emission tomography (PET) scans that reduce guesswork in assessing the effect of cancer drugs on a tumor. Imaging has also given clinicians huge amounts of new information to better diagnose and treat patients, such as the ability of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize and target brain tumors and aneurysms, according to Mr. Rucker. Furthermore, imaging is no longer used only for diagnosis, but also for treating and managing medical conditions.

"In fact, imaging has become a standard of modern care for virtually all major medical conditions and disease,” said Mr. Rucker. "This includes cancer, stroke, heart disease, trauma, and abdominal and neurological conditions.”

Mr. Rucker reported that these broad, patient-centered changes that are driving increased utilization are frequently overlooked in policy discussions. Instead, the assumption is that financial incentives of providers lie at the heart of rapid utilization growth. "No one can doubt that financial incentives play a role in the use of imaging. But the impact of these incentives pales in comparison to these broader, patient-centered changes,” he said.

Mr. Rucker said that NEMA encouraged the U.S. Congress to support public policies that recognize this broader context of utilization growth. Payment reductions such as those recently passed by Congress in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 would harm patient access to imaging technologies.

NEMA is the world's largest association representing manufacturers of medical imaging equipment





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