Aim: One of the main arguments against the acceptance and introduction
of FDG PET as a regular benefit in the statutory Medical Insurance sy
stem in Germany are its (alleged) high costs. The aim of the present s
tudy has been to determine empirically over a period of twelve months
the costs of FDG PET, making use of a satellite concept. Methods: Docu
mentation on performance and consumption data has been assembled for p
urposes of cost analysis. After analysis these data provided the basis
for an assessment of the costs. In view of the high proportion of fix
ed overheads and strong fluctuations in consumption values, it was not
possible to allocate reliably in an individual FDG PET investigation
the various types of costs to individual causes. A monthly cost assess
ment procedure was therefore adopted. For this purpose data were reco
rded in the department for Nuclear Medicine, while the statistical ass
essment of the consumption data and analysis of the costs were underta
ken in the institute of Industrial and Hospital Management. Results: O
ver the twelve month observation period (November 1995 to October 1996
, 177 working days) 433 patients were included in the study. 244 with
brain diseases 37 cardiac patients, 130 whole body studies and 22 comb
ined studies (brain and whole body scans), The non volume based costs,
maintenance charges and depreciation accounted for the highest propor
tion of the total costs (48%). The FDG-related costs accounted for 41%
of the total costs, while the personnel costs amounted to 11% and the
film costs to only 0.45%. The total costs incurred amounted to DM 1,2
05,050. Conclusion: These data represent a first empirical cost analys
is for FDG PET based on a satellite concept and form a starting point
for a cost/benefit analysis of this procedure.