Use of MRI and CT exams varies greatly among provinces

Canada peforms fewer diagnotic imaging scans relative to population size than OECD average

Diagnostic tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans, are more commonly used on patients in some provinces than in others, according to new data released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). For example, in 2009, rates of MRI exams performed in Alberta or New Brunswick were more than twice as high as those in Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador, varying from highs of 54 exams per 1,000 people in Alberta and 51 per 1,000 in New Brunswick to lows of 23 per 1,000 in P.E.I. and 24 per 1,000 in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Similarly, the data shows significant variation among the provinces in the rates of CT exams performed on patients. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia had the highest rates of CT use (193 and 155 per 1,000 people, respectively) while P.E.I. and British Columbia had the lowest rates of use (104 and 106 exams per 1,000 people, respectively).

Data Release:
Selected Medical Imaging Equipment in Canada