MR imaging in Japan and the United States: analysis of utilization and economics.
OBJECTIVE
In 1991, the total number of MR units available in Japan relative to the population was second only to that in the United States. I did a study to compare the utilization and costs of MR imaging systems in Japan and the United States.


METHODS
A questionnaire was mailed to all 746 medical facilities in Japan that had MR imaging units. The questionnaire concerned the characteristics of the facilities and the MR units, the utilization of MR imaging, and selected economic issues. The response rate was 422 (57%). The results were compared with those reported for the United States.


RESULTS
The total number (1983) of patients examined each year per MR unit in Japan was 56% of that in the United States. This difference of utilization was mainly related to the number of hours scheduled per day. More than 70% of all procedures were related to the head or spine in both countries. The charge for MR imaging in Japan ($200) was one fifth of that in the United States. The average purchase price for an MR unit and the annual costs of MR imaging in Japan were $1.6 million and $713,500, respectively, which were lower than those in the United States. The annual number of examinations per unit required to break even financially in Japan was higher than the actual number of examinations.


CONCLUSIONS
The average number of MR imaging examinations per unit in Japan is about half that in the United States. The fee for MR imaging in Japan is one fifth that in the United States. For most MR imaging systems in Japan, income generated by imaging falls below the break-even point.
Hisashige
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Department of Health Care Informatics, Suzuka University of Medical Science and Technology, Mie, Japan.
D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States