A physician questionnaire study of the net cost of computerized tomographic scanning

This paper reports the results of a physician questionnaire study of the net cost impact of CT Scanning on the health care system. The study objective is accomplished by questioning physicians, on a case-by-case basis, on the number and type of diagnostic tests and hospital care which would have been provided in lieu of CT. These findings indicate that CT Scanning, while expensive on a per use basis, results in significant cost savings on a per case basis because it eliminates the need for multiple alternative tests and hospital stays. Finally, the controversy over the cost of CT Scanning is attributed not to the intrinsic merits of CT but rather to structural elements within the health care system which create disincentives to economize.