title: The true cost of cardiovascular imaging: focusing on downstream, indirect, and environmental costs.
abstract: To develop a more realistic assessment of costs, herein named "true" costs, the extra-cancer from medical radiation, environmental damage from imaging paraphernalia and radioactive wastes must be included as long-term costs from imaging examinations. It is urgent to define the "true" costs across imaging modalities as it interferes on physicians' decision to request an exam and on research projects such as cost-effectiveness analysis. Cardiology is the specialty that most will benefit from the outcome as cardiovascular exams represent almost 30% of the total exams acquired annually worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Physiology of Pisa, National Council, Via G, Moruzzi, Pisa, Tuscany 1 56124, Italy.
authors.forename: Larissa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vinci
authors.forename: Carlo G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Leo
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Picano
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000191:economics*; D003935:Diagnostic Techniques, Cardiovascular / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D014463:Ultrasonography