THE FREQUENCIES OF X-RAY EXAMINATIONS AND CT SCANS: FINDINGS FROM A SAMPLE INVESTIGATION IN JIANGSU, CHINA

Objective: The present study was performed to evaluate the frequencies of two kinds of examinations using a proportional sample of 262 medical institutions and to observe the factors affecting the amount of examination-related exposure. The other aim of the present study was to observe the relationship between X-ray and CT frequency with GDP per capita, which could indicate the connection between medical exposure practice and economy. Methods: A random sample was taken from a pool of 316 medical institutions, and correlation analyses were performed to identify the factors affecting the amount of examination-related exposure. A representative sample of 262 medical institutions, proportional to the distribution of hospitals across grades, was used, and a multiple linear regression model was constructed. Results: The frequencies of X-ray examinations and CT scans were 523 per 1000 people and 223 per 1000 people, respectively. The two kinds of radio-diagnostic examinations showed different patterns in their relationships with GDP per capita. The factors correlated with the amounts of exposure due to the two kinds of examinations and the outpatient and equipment numbers showed distinctive patterns in the group of grade three institutions. Conclusions: The improvement in the economy has caused a rapid increase in the use of radio-diagnostic examinations. The differences in factors correlated with the two types of examinations may stem from the workload statuses of CT scans and X-ray examinations in grade three hospitals.