title: [Nuclear Medicine in Germany. Key data from official statistics].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explain the spectrum and number of in-vivo nuclear medicine examinations and therapies based on official statistics about out-patient and in-patient care. Trends in time of the frequency and spectrum of procedures as well as data on the health care structure for nuclear medicine in Germany should be collected.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the Gesundheitsberichterstattung des Bundes, from the frequency statistics of the statutory health insurance for out-patients and from the Bundesärztekammer were used. Customized queries were performed to analyse temporal changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nuclear medicine physicians are more frequently consulted by out-patients over the last years (2008: 2024498; 2009: 2164664) and the number of colleagues in private practice increased. For in-patients, the frequency of conventional nuclear medicine procedures (mainly for brain, lymphatic system, lung and heart) increased since 2008 after a decline in previous years (2009: 323515; +4.6%) and the number of PET(/CT) examinations continued to rise (2009: 25123; +18%), even if changes in OPS keys may hamper comparisons. Nearly 600 gamma cameras and 76 PET(/CT) scanners were installed in hospitals in 2008. Nuclear medicine procedures are increasingly performed as cross sectional imaging like SPECT(/CT) and PET(/CT). With the supply shortfall with 99Mo, the frequency of thyroid scans with 123I iodine increased as well as the use of 18F PET as a substitute for conventional bone scans. The number of radionuclide therapies, in particular non-thyroid treatments, increased since the mid-nineties and stabilized at nearly 50000 cases per year with shorter lengths of stay.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The details of the present analysis may help to understand the positive evolution of key numbers for nuclear medicine.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Nuklearmedizin, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, 66421 Homburg/Saar. Dirk.Hellwig@uks.eu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hellwig
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grgic
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kotzerke
authors.forename: C-M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kirsch
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005858:Germany; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009684:Nuclear Medicine Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*