Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40397237›Full record

ArticleResearch in health services & regions2025

Geographical variations and potential low-value neuroimaging examinations in Norway from 2013 to 2022.

Ingrid Øfsti Brandsæter, Jan Porthun, Eivind Richter Andersen, Bjørn Morten Hofmann, Elin Kjelle

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Research in health services & regions, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Ingrid Øfsti BrandsæterDepartment of Health Sciences Gjøvik at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Gjøvik, PB 191, Gjøvik, 2802, Norway. ingrid.o.brandsater@ntnu.no.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0254-7953
Jan PorthunDepartment of Health Sciences Gjøvik at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Gjøvik, PB 191, Gjøvik, 2802, Norway.
Eivind Richter AndersenDepartment of Health Sciences Gjøvik at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Gjøvik, PB 191, Gjøvik, 2802, Norway.
Bjørn Morten HofmannDepartment of Health Sciences Gjøvik at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Gjøvik, PB 191, Gjøvik, 2802, Norway.
Elin KjelleDepartment of Health Sciences Gjøvik at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Gjøvik, PB 191, Gjøvik, 2802, Norway.

Funding

Norges Forskningsråd 302503
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo investigate the variations in the use of neuroimaging over time and across geographical regions and to investigate the use of two potential low-value neuroimaging examinations for all imaging in an entire country (Norway), including both inpatient and outpatient services from 2013 to 2022. METHOD AND

methodsData on neuroimaging for outpatients was collected from the Norwegian Health Economics Administration, and inpatient data were collected from individual Hospital Trusts (HT) in Norway. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics.

resultsOn average, 413,303 (786 per 10,000 inhabitants) neuroimaging examinations were performed annually in Norway. Overall, the use increased by 16% during the study period. Substantial geographical variations were found both in general and for the two potential low-value neuroimaging examinations; Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Head Computed Tomography (CT). For general neuroimaging, the HT with the highest use performed twice as many examinations as the HT with the lowest use per inhabitant. For the potential low-value neuroimaging examinations, the HTs with the highest use performed two and three times as many examinations as the HTs with the lowest use per inhabitant.

conclusionThere was temporal and geographical variation in the general use of neuroimaging and the use of the two potential low-value examinations, Brain MRI and Head CT. In Norway, the estimated annual cost of low-value neuroimaging examinations is about EUR 4.0 million. Reducing the use of low-value imaging would free up resources for examinations of high value.

Indexed as

Diagnostic imagingGeographical variationLow-value imagingNeuroimaging

Identifiers

PMID40397237
PMCPMC12095830

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