Adoption of high technology medical imaging and hospital quality and efficiency: Towards a conceptual framework

Adoption of large-scale medical equipment: the impact of competition in the German inpatient sector

The availability of large-scale medical equipment such as computed tomography (CT), magnet resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scanners has increased rapidly worldwide over the last decades. Among OECD countries, Germany ranks high according to the number of imaging technologies and their applications per inhabitant. In contrast to other countries, there is no active governmental planning of large-scale medical equipment. We therefore investigated whether and how the adoption and distribution of CT, MRI and PET scanners in the German inpatient sector is subject to competition. Using a linear-probability model, we additionally examined the impact of regional, hospital- and population-based factors. In summary, our results indicate that the adoption rate by hospital sites decreases with the number of other sites being already equipped with the respective device and their proximity. However, the effect presumably depends on the technologies' stage within the diffusion process. No influence regarding the amount of state subsidies could be identified. Furthermore, hospital size and university status strongly affect the adoption.

[Large-Scale Medical Equipment - An Analysis of Supply Structures 20 Years after the Abolition of Site Planning]

AIM

The aim of this study was to examine the supply structures of computer tomographs (CT) and positron emission tomographs (PET) 20 years after abolishing site planning of large-scale medical equipment in the German inpatient sector.

METHODOLOGY

Cartographic analyses were used to visualize the inpatient supply with CT and PET between 2010 and 2017. Regional differences were investigated in relation to population and disease burden to identify potentially over- and under-served areas.

RESULTS

Almost German-wide coverage was observed for CT. Only 0.3 percent of the population did not have access to a device within 30 minutes of driving distance. In contrast, larger segments of the population in extensive regions did not have timely access to PET. In addition, there was a high degree of regional variation in supply, which could not be explained either by population density or the disease burden of the region.

CONCLUSION

The supply structures of large-scale medical equipment over decades without concrete regulatory interventions reveal regional variation. This is to be viewed critically from both an economic and a medical perspective. The extent to which strengthening competitive elements or cross-sectoral site planning can lead to a demand-oriented and efficient supply of large-scale medical equipment still needs to be investigated in more detail.

The relationship between hospital adoption and use of high technology medical imaging and in-patient mortality and length of stay

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between hospital adoption and use of computed tomography (CT) scanners, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines and in-patient mortality and length of stay.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

This study used panel data (2007-2010) from 124 hospital corporations operating in Ontario, Canada. Imaging use focused on medical patients accounting for 25 percent of hospital discharges. Main outcomes were in-hospital mortality rates and average length of stay. A model for each outcome-technology combination was built, and controlled for hospital structural characteristics, market factors and patient characteristics.

FINDINGS

In 2010, 36 and 59 percent of hospitals had adopted MRI machines and CT scanners, respectively. Approximately 23.5 percent of patients received CT scans and 3.5 percent received MRI scans during the study period. Adoption of these technologies was associated with reductions of up to 1.1 percent in mortality rates and up to 4.5 percent in length of stay. The imaging use-mortality relationship was non-linear and varied by technology penetration within hospitals. For CT, imaging use reduced mortality until use reached 19 percent in hospitals with one scanner and 28 percent in hospitals with 2+ scanners. For MRI, imaging use was largely associated with decreased mortality. The use of CT scanners also increased length of stay linearly regardless of technology penetration (4.6 percent for every 10 percent increase in use). Adoption and use of MRI was not associated with length of stay.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

These results suggest that there may be some unnecessary use of imaging, particularly in small hospitals where imaging is contracted out. In larger hospitals, the results highlight the need to further investigate the use of imaging beyond certain thresholds. Independent of the rate of imaging use, the results also indicate that the presence of CT and MRI devices within a hospital benefits quality and efficiency.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the combined effect of adoption and use of medical imaging on outcomes specific to CT scanners and MRI machines in the context of hospital in-patient care.