Choosing Wisely Canada and Diagnostic Imaging: What Level of  Evidence Supports the Recommendations?

The diagnostic capabilities of modern medicine have exponentially expanded with the advances in technology. These advancements have, on one hand, contributed to improved accuracy of diagnosis and reductions in patient morbidity [1,2], while simultaneously resulting in increased utilisation and therefore higher and rising healthcare costs [3 –6]. Between 1999-2004, annual Medicare spending on diagnostic imaging in the United States increased from US$5.8 billion to US$10.9 billion [7], while in Canada, approximately 10% of all healthcare dollars are spent on diagnostic imaging, with Ontario alone spending over CAD $1.5 billion annually on diagnostic imaging [7,8].
Source: Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Health Policy and Practice / Sant é : politique et pratique médicale Source Type: research