ArticleBMC health services research2023
Variations in wait times for imaging services: a register-based study of self-reported wait times for specific examinations in Norway.
Article in BMC health services research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed.
- Imaging-based diagnosis of pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of direct comparative studies.European radiology · 2026Article
- The AI Act and the MDR post-market requirements for semiautonomous AI SaMD: a radiology case study in prostate cancer.Abdominal radiology (New York) · 2026Article
- Characterizing proprioceptive dysfunction as an early sensory indicator of mild Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.North American Spine Society journal · 2026Article
- Radiology appointment management in German hospitals: a survey of referring physicians.Insights into imaging · 2026Article
- MRI Waiting Time Disparities in Saudi Public Hospitals: A Six-Year Retrospective Study.Cureus · 2026Article
- Temporal and geographical variations in musculoskeletal imaging: a register-based study in Norway with focus on potential low-value imaging.Research in health services & regions · 2025Article
- The Diagnostic Performance of Transvaginal Ultrasound for Posterior Compartment Endometriosis Compared to Laparoscopic and Histopathological Findings: A Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Personalised prostate MRI: tailoring contrast medium use in an era of increasing demand.European radiology · 2025Article
- Prostate MRI Using Deep Learning Reconstruction in Response to Cancer Screening Demands-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of personalized medicine · 2025Review
- Geographical variations and potential low-value neuroimaging examinations in Norway from 2013 to 2022.Research in health services & regions · 2025Article
- Radiology Access in Rural Germany: A Nationwide Survey on Outpatient Imaging and Teleradiology.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging Is an Effective First-Line Noninvasive Tool for Meniscal Tear Detection: A Retrospective Comparative Analysis With Knee Arthroscopy.Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Scheduling an appointment for MRI: patient perception of wait time and difficulty.Israel journal of health policy research · 2025Article
- Norwegian general practitioners' and radiologists' perspectives on the referral, justification, and unnecessary imaging-a survey.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2024Article
- Neuroimaging for precision medicine in psychiatry.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2024Review
- Prospective clinical evaluation of deep learning for ultrasonographic screening of abdominal aortic aneurysms.NPJ digital medicine · 2024Review
- Brain Circuit-Derived Biotypes for Treatment Selection in Mood Disorders: A Critical Review and Illustration of a Functional Neuroimaging Tool for Clinical Translation.Biological psychiatry · 2024Review
- The importance of maximal TURBT in trimodality therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).Bladder cancer (Amsterdam, Netherlands)Review
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundWhile the number of medical images has increased substantially, the demand has outpaced access, resulting in long wait times in many countries. Long wait times are a key problem for patient safety and quality of care as they can result in prolonged suffering, delayed diagnosis and treatment, as well as poorer prognosis and loss of lives. Surprisingly, little is known about wait times for imaging services.
objectiveInvestigate wait times for specific imaging services in Norway and to compare wait times with the total number of examinations and their development over time.
methodsData from the wait time registry at the Norwegian Directorate of Health from 2018 to 2021 as well as data on outpatient imaging provided by the Norwegian Health Economics Administration (HELFO) and in-patient data afforded by fourteen hospital trusts and hospitals in Norway were analysed. Data include the total number of imaging examinations according to the Norwegian Classification of Radiological Procedures (NCRP). Analyses were performed with descriptive statistics.
resultsWait times vary through the months of the year. Conventional X-ray (XR) had the shortest wait times (3.0-4.4 weeks), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and ultrasound (US) had the lengthiest (8.7-12.0 and 7.9-11.4 weeks respectively). The wait times were lengthiest during the summer and winter holidays. Variations in wait times were also found for specific examination types between Norway's four public health regions. In addition, there was variation over time within the health regions. The wait times with the private health providers were substantially lower than with the public health providers. From 2018 to 2021, the wait time for MRIs increased by 6.6%, while the number of examinations (per 10,000) increased by 8.6%. Those regions with the highest number of examinations per 1,000 inhabitants per year had the lowest wait times.
conclusionWait times for diagnostic imaging procedures varied with time, region, and modality in Norway from 2018 to 2021. Long wait times may entail many negative consequences for patients, professionals, and the healthcare system. Reducing long wait times is an obvious way to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of care.
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