REDUCING IMAGING COSTS IN MANITOBA, CANADA

Manitoba, Canada, has serious debt and deficit problems and spends one -third of its revenue on health care. Manitoba Health, the single gove rnment carrier, has requested a 5-year management plan from the Provin cial Imaging Advisory Committee to maintain and improve the present se rvices within reduced funding [1]. The committee members are radiologi sts, nuclear medicine specialists, physicists, physicians, hospital of ficials, and senior government staff. In 1993, each Manitoba hospital prepared a 5-year plan for imaging equipment purchases based on projec ted patient and attending staff needs. The requests for services and n ew imaging technology exceed planned resource allocations. I was asked by Manitoba Health in July 1993 to prepare a cost restraint position paper with a target of 10% savings to help with government restraint a nd to allow some transfer of resources for continuing growth in imagin g. The approach was to consult widely and to seek methods of significa nt cost savings that Canadian society might accept (Table 1), Areas of potential savings now are being considered by ad hoc committees appoi nted by hospitals and Manitoba Health. Several are being implemented o n a trial basis.