Comparisons and contrasts in the practice of nuclear cardiology in the United States and Japan.
There are interesting differences between the practice of Nuclear Cardiology in Japan and that in the United States and associated unique challenges. Differences in patient body habitus and the perceived importance of limiting patient radiation dose have resulted in different radiopharmaceutical and imaging protocol preferences. Governmental approval and reimbursement policies for various radiopharmaceuticals have promulgated adoption of different clinical applications. Both countries have experienced a significant decline in the number of nuclear cardiology studies performed, in part due to decreased governmental funding and reimbursement and to the emergence of competing modalities. Whereas precertification and test substitution have impacted negatively on the sustainability and growth of nuclear cardiology in the United States, in Japan those deterrents have not yet been encountered. Instead, communication barriers between nuclear medicine physicians and referring cardiologists are cited as a more significant barrier.
Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Mt. Sinai St. Luke's and Mt. Sinai West Hospitals, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY, USA. EDepuey@CHPNET.ORG.
E Gordon
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DePuey
D002309:Cardiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007564:Japan; D009683:Nuclear Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States
Clinical practice; Japan; Nuclear Cardiology; United States