International Perspectives on Radiology in Preventive Screening

摘要

Several years ago, the International Economics Committee of the ACR began a study of comparisons among nations regarding the practice of radiology. This article is the second in a series. The purpose here is to compare the use across countries of imaging modalities in the screening algorithms of a variety of common diseases. In conjunction with the initial study, this will allow radiologists to understand in greater detail how health system practices differ among a selected set of nations. In this study, a standardized survey was administered to committee members from 10 countries in the developed and developing world. As with the prior study, there were both striking differences and similarities, even among a small cohort of nations that are all (except India) members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. For example, breast cancer screening with mammography involves similar radiographic techniques for screening evaluations and has similarly high levels of insurance coverage, but the recommended ages at initial screening and end of screening differ. Other diseases, such as lung cancer and abdominal aortic aneurysm, have variable, but overall lower, levels of estimated participation among surveyed countries and significantly lower insurance coverage. Although this data set relies on survey data from individual practitioners, it provides an important perspective of the role of radiology in screening programs. Given the increasing pressure from domestic and foreign governments to reign in health care costs, the comparative differences in screening programs, and especially their use of (often costly) imaging techniques, may be a harbinger for future health policy decisions in the United States and abroad.