Juhani Antero Ahovuo MD,PhD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Olli Tolkki, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Petri Parvinen DPHIL, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

HUS Helsinki Medical Imaging Center (HMIC) provides the majority of radiological studies for the population of Helsinki. HMIC has an exceptional possibility to investigate the use of radiological studies in terms of the population and its demographic structure. The purpose of this study was to analyse the impact of patients’ age on the use of radiological studies and the distribution of costs between different cohorts. The aging of populations and its influence on health costs has become a paradigm in healthcare economics. Thus, we studied how the demographic changes will affect costs in radiology.

508,279 radiological studies were performed by HMIC in 2003. The number of imaging studies in different five-year cohorts was counted, and the number was correlated to the demographic structure of the population. The total costs per cohort were also calculated. These results were compared to the demographical forecasts of Helsinki in 2013 and 2023 to find out the influence of demographic change to the total cost of radiological studies.

Plain film radiography studies accounted for 335,864 (66%) studies, ultrasonography 81,866 (16%), computer tomography (CT) 50,828 (10%), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 20,005 (4%), fluoroscopy 5,083 (1%), and others 14,633 (3%). Use of plain film radiography varied between 56 to 82 % in different age groups, being the lowest in the 25-30 cohort and highest in the cohort 95-100. Use of ultrasonography was highest among the youngest. CT and MRI were increasingly used in the 60-65 and 35-40 cohorts, respectively. The costs for the use of imaging studies were high immediately after the birth, but low between 1-15-year-olds. The most expensive cohorts were 51-55 and 56-60. The increase in the costs corresponded to use increasing use of MRI and CT studies. The total cost per citizen was the highest in the 71-75 and 76-80 cohorts.

In contrast to common opinion, total costs of radiological studies were not highest in the oldest age cohort. Ageing of population will not raise radiological costs due to the low total costs of oldest cohorts. Increasing radiological costs are more due to increasing demands and more expensive imaging methods.

Ahovuo, J, Tolkki, O, Parvinen, P, The Use of Radiological Studies at Different Age Cohorts and Aging Population.  Radiological Society of North America 2005 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 27 - December 2, 2005 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2005/4410673.html