Temporal and geographical variations in diagnostic imaging in Norway

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Medical Imaging Analysis
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Unwarranted variations in healthcare services, particularly imaging, compromise equal access, justice, quality, safety, and efficiency.
• Temporal and geographical disparities in diagnostic imaging provision are a significant concern in healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze temporal and geographical variations in diagnostic imaging utilization in Norway between 2013 and 2021.
• Investigate trends and regional differences in the number of diagnostic imaging examinations performed.

Main Methods:

• Utilized outpatient imaging data from the Norwegian Health Economics Administration (HELFO) and inpatient data from 14 Norwegian hospital trusts.
• Analyzed total imaging examinations based on the Norwegian Classification of Radiological Procedures (NCRP) using descriptive statistics.

Main Results:

• Over 37 million imaging examinations were conducted from 2013-2021, averaging 4.2 million annually.
• Significant regional disparities were observed, with one region performing 53.1% more examinations per capita than another.
• Catchment area comparisons revealed stark differences, with one hospital trust performing twice as many examinations per capita as another.

Conclusions:

• Variations in diagnostic imaging are difficult to attribute to socio-economic or demographic factors in Norway's homogeneous population.
• Unwarranted and supply-sensitive variations pose challenges to healthcare systems prioritizing equal access and justice.