Washington , D.C. , -- The Institute for Health Technology Studies (InHealth) has awarded one-year research grants to two teams at Stanford University . One will examine the socio-economic value of MRI and CT imaging technology. The other will document the current regulatory and commercialization processes required of new medical technologies. The grants, totaling $538,207, are part of InHealths continuing research mission to bring objective data and perspective to understanding the impact of medical technology on patients and the health care industry.

The first study, The Diffusion of Imaging Technologies, Health Care Costs and Quality, will investigate the relationships among the availability of advanced diagnostic imaging services, usage, patient outcomes and health care spending. The second study, Medical Device Development Models, will document how medical devices are approved and enhanced, pre- and post-market, including the role of the Food and Drug Administration. In addition, the study will clarify the different paths followed by medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotech products. Results from both studies are anticipated by fall 2007.

Critical discussions about the nations health care system should be based on objective data rather than political opinion. Our goal is to help uncover that data so that decision-makers have a fuller understanding of how to legislate and regulate in the health and economic interests of patients and their families, said Martyn Howgill, Executive Director of InHealth.


Examining the Growth and Impact of Advanced Imaging Technologies

Stanford investigators will look at the effects of increased availability of MRI and CT technologies on the cost and quality of health care and whether costs are offset by benefits. No such studies are currently available. The researchers will collect data from 1992-2004 on the availability of MRI and CT services in different regions of the U.S. , insurance claims for these services, and the use and spending on other imaging services and medical treatments (e.g., non-imaging procedures and procedures prompted by imaging results). The team will then correlate the data to draw conclusions about the costs and benefits of imaging technology to society, particularly the relationships among expanded use of imaging, spending, quality and patient care.

According to Howgill, diagnostic imaging tests are vital for accurate and early diagnosis of disease and play a crucial role in determining which medical treatments are subsequently prescribed by physicians. Yet expenditures on imaging tests are a fraction of the cost of the care that is then provided. Howgill expects the study to have an impact on understanding diagnostic imagings role in medical care and on regulatory policies that affect diagnostic imaging facilities.

More Industry Headlines