Sept. 1 (UPI) -- A recent study has found that musculoskeletal extremity imaging use among Medicare patients has increased sharply over the past two decades.
The study, published today in the American Journal of Roentgenology, found that between 1994 and 2013 the utilization rates among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries increased by 43 percent for radiography, 500 percent for ultrasound, 615 percent for MRI and 758 percent for CT scan use.
"The reasons for this rapid growth could be related to the various advantages of ultrasound imaging, including improved accessibility, portability, and low cost," researchers reported in the study. "However, a number of studies in the podiatry literature have touted ultrasound as a mechanism to enhance practice revenue, suggesting that this could be a dominant driver of this utilization change."
The study found that MRI had an initial 15-year span of rapid growth then plateaued. The other modalities increased more consistently across the 20-year study period.
Researchers also found that the doctor's office was the most common site for radiography, MRI and ultrasound, but hospital outpatient and inpatient settings were the most common sites for CT scans.
"These insights may have implications for radiology practice leaders in making decisions regarding capital infrastructure, workforce, and training investments to ensure the provision of optimal imaging services for extremity musculoskeletal care," researchers stated.
The study was conducted by researchers in the Department of Radiology at NYU Langone Medical Center.
