Access to Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in the US
Author Information
Author(s): Li Jennifer M., Ho David R., Husain Nazia, Biederman Robert W., Finn J. Paul, Fuisz Anthon R., Saeed Ibrahim M., Nguyen Kim-Lien
Primary Institution: University of Arizona College of Medicine
Hypothesis
What is the extent of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) adoption across the United States?
Conclusion
CMR access remains geographically variable despite increasing volume and availability in almost all 50 states.
Supporting Evidence
- In 2018, there were 591 imaging centers billing for CMR services in the US.
- CMR services were available in almost all 50 states.
- 68% of survey responders were cardiologists.
- 53% of centers were considered high-volume centers performing over 500 scans per year.
Takeaway
This study looked at how many places in the US have machines that take pictures of the heart. Even though more places are getting these machines, some areas still have a hard time getting to them.
Methodology
The study used Medicare billing data and survey responses from CMR centers to analyze access and utilization patterns.
Potential Biases
Response bias may exist as the survey was self-reported and not independently validated.
Limitations
The study is based on survey data from a limited number of centers and may not represent all CMR facilities in the US.
Participant Demographics
The majority of survey responders were cardiologists (70%) and radiologists (28%).
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.03
Statistical Significance
p=0.03
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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