HALIFAX, April 16, 2018 /CNW/ - New data released by CADTH shows a rise in the number of diagnostic imaging machines that are available across Canada, with the sharpest increases in Ontario and Quebec.

Information on six types of medical imaging modalities was provided voluntarily by public and private health care administrators through CADTH's second biennial Canadian survey. CADTH published the data in its Canadian Medical Imaging Inventory and covers the following specialty imaging technologies:

Computed tomography (CT)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
Positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT)
Single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT-CT) and,
Positron emission tomography–magnetic resonance imaging (PET-MRI).
"Ensuring appropriate and timely access to medical imaging services is fundamental to ensuring Canadians receive high quality care from their health care system," says Dr. Brian O'Rourke, CADTH President and CEO. "The Canadian Medical Imaging Inventory provides the clearest information yet on what types of machines are available in different provinces or territories and will help determine where new imaging machines or upgrades are required to better meet patient need."

Today in Halifax at the 2018 CADTH Symposium, CADTH will present and livestream a special session on the inventory, with a range of experts who will delve deeper into the results. CADTH's report represents Canada's most complete and current record of medical imaging equipment and includes summaries of the data for each province and territory.

"As imaging technologies rapidly advance, there is a continual need for an updated picture to help decision makers understand the evolution of medical imaging, the influence of emerging technologies and the expansion of clinical applications and population needs," added Dr. O'Rourke.

Key Findings

Every province has at least one CT machine and it's the most common, with 561 machines in Canada — up from 419 a decade prior and representing an approximate 35% growth.
Although an increase was observed, the CT machine actually experienced the slowest rate of growth compared to the other machines studied, which may be due to market saturation.
The number of CT exams being performed increased, with 5.61 million exams completed in 2017, up from 3.38 million in 2007.
With a 65% increase in the number of machines, MRI is the second most common technology surveyed with 366 machines, up from 222 units in 2007.

CT Homepage