Regional Variation of Computed Tomographic Imaging in the United States and the Risk of Nephrectomy.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

While computed tomography (CT) represents a tremendous advance in diagnostic imaging, it also creates the problem of incidental detection-the identification of tumors unrelated to the clinical symptoms that initiate the test.

Objective

To determine the geographic variation in the United States in CT imaging and the corresponding association with one of the most consequential sequelae of incidental detection: nephrectomy.

Design, setting, and participants

This study is a cross-sectional analysis of age-, sex-, and race-adjusted Medicare data (January 2010-December 2014) from 306 hospital referral regions (HRRs) in the United States and includes information from 15 million fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries age 65 to 85 years.

Exposures

Regional CT

SUBMITTER: Welch HG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5838611 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature