February 5, 2018
Utilization of Pre-Biopsy Prostate MRI
A new research study assesses the changing utilization of pre-biopsy prostate MRI in Medicare beneficiaries. The study, published online in The Journal of Urology, found that pre-biopsy MRI utilization rates increased sharply by 2015 from earlier minimal usage.
“In male Medicare beneficiaries, pre-biopsy rates increased from 0.1% in 2010 to 10.3% in 2015,” stated Andrew Rosenkrantz, MD, MPA, lead study author and a Neiman Institute affiliate research fellow. “Utilization varied greatly among populations based on various patient characteristics and was much higher among whites than blacks, as well as in the Northeast than in the Midwest.”
Rosenkrantz and his colleagues used administrative claims to assess pre-biopsy prostate MRI utilization nationally on an annual basis. Medicare 5% Research Identifiable Files were obtained for years 2010 to 2015, representing the most recently available data at the time for this analysis.
“Variation in utilization was even more pronounced at the individual state level, ranging from <1% in ten states to >20% in Minnesota, New York, and Wyoming,” noted Jeffrey Weinreb, MD, FACR, senior author and professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at Yale University. “Such variation suggests disparities in access and the extent to which groups of men are potentially benefitting from prostate MRI in clinical practice.”
Continued educational, research, and policy efforts are warranted to optimize the role of pre-biopsy MRI and minimize sociodemographic and geographic disparities.
To obtain a copy of the study or to arrange an interview with a Neiman Institute spokesperson, contact Nichole Gay at (703) 648-1665 or ngay@neimanhpi.org.
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About the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute
The Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute is one of the nation’s leading medical imaging socioeconomic research organizations. The Neiman Institute studies the role and value of radiology and radiologists in evolving health care delivery and payment systems and the impact of medical imaging on the cost, quality, safety and efficiency of health care. Visit us at www.neimanhpi.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.