Utilization of diagnostic ultrasound in a controlled setting

To appreciate the number of ultrasound studies of different types done within a population consisting of both rural and urban persons, a questionnaire was sent to all ultrasound facilities within the Canadian Province of British Columbia. All of the questionnaires were returned, providing complete data for 1978, 1979, and 1980. In addition to data on numbers of ultrasound studies (broken into various categories), the number of sonographers and sonologists were also analyzed. The results show an 87% increase from 1978 to 1980 in the number of studies, and, in 1980, a rate of 37 ultrasound procedures per thousand population per year (52 per thousand in the largest urban area in the province). The complete data and a discussion of the unique features of the British Columbia experience are presented.