Magnetic Resonance Imaging As A Case Study Of Cost Factors In High Technology Health Care Delivery

The perception of MRI as the technology flagship of diagnostic imaging has generated an "arms race" in terms of hardware development, search for academic recognition and physician utilization, all this leading to excessive costing of what is a basically sound and useful technology. Governmental regulation has been unable to deal with cost issues, and in some cases has added cost. The pressure of reality is now driving the process of rationalizing costs. Lower costs will not negatively impact on diagnostic capabilities of MRI.