Trends in public sector radiological usage in the Western Cape Province, South Africa: 2009–2019

SA Journal of Radiology

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Trends in public sector radiological usage in the Western Cape Province, South Africa: 2009–2019
 
Creator van Wijk, Monica Barnard, Michelle M. Fernandez, Amanda Cloete, Keith Mukosi, Matodzi Pitcher, Richard D.
 
Subject diagnostic radiology; public sector; healthcare radiology; trends; utilisation; middle-income country; healthcare; public sector
Description Background: Although global use of medical imaging has increased significantly, little is known about utilisation trends in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).Objectives: To evaluate changes over a decade in public sector diagnostic imaging utilisation at provincial level in a middle-income country.Method: A retrospective analysis of medical imaging utilisation in the Western Cape Province of South Africa in 2009 and 2019. Use of conventional radiography, ultrasonography (US), fluoroscopy, CT, MRI, digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and whole-body digital radiography was assessed by total studies and studies/103 people, for the whole province, the rural and metropolitan areas. Mammography utilisation was calculated for every 103 females aged 40–70 years.Results: The provincial population and total imaging investigations increased by 25% and 32%, respectively, whilst studies/103 people increased by 5.5% (256 vs 270/103), with marked variation by modality. Provincial US, CT and MRI utilisation/103 people increased by 111% (20 vs 43/103), 78% (10 vs 18/103) and 32% (1.9 vs 2.5/103) respectively, whilst use of fluoroscopy (3.6 vs 3.7/103) and mammography (14.2 vs 15.9/103 women aged 40–70 years) was steady and plain radiography decreased by 20% (216 vs 196/103). For CT, mammography and fluoroscopy, percentage utilisation increases/103 people were higher in the rural than metropolitan areas.Conclusion: Population growth is the main driver of overall imaging utilisation in our setting. The relatively constant imaging workload per 1000 people, albeit with increasing ultrasound, CT and MR utilisation, and decreasing use of plain radiography, reflects improved provincial imaging infrastructure, and appropriate use of available resources.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor None.
Date 2021-11-30
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Retrospective review.
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajr.v25i1.2251
 
Source South African Journal of Radiology; Vol 25, No 1 (2021); 7 pages 2078-6778 1027-202X
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2251/3044 https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2251/3045 https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2251/3046 https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2251/3047
 
Coverage Western Cape 2009-2019 Diagnostic Imaging data
Rights Copyright (c) 2021 Monica van Wijk, Michelle Monique Barnard, Amanda Fernandez, Keith Cloete, Matodzi Mukosi, Richard Denys Pitcher https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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