Spanish scientific productivity and equipment in magnetic resonance from aregional and European perspective

The aim of this work was to provide a rational frame for the design of scie ntific policies in MR infrastructure implementation. To this end, we have i nvestigated the relationships between MR instruments, their scientific prod uctivity or medical performance and several socio-economic, R&D or health c are indicators in a Spanish and European context. The distribution of MR sp ectroscopy instruments among Spanish Autonomous Communities suggests that t he allocation policy resulted from a compromise between the pull of demand based on regional strength in R&D activities and the push of convergence cr iteria to bring underdeveloped regions up to a national standard. On the wh ole. the average value for Spanish MR spectroscopy equipment(1.6 units per TRDP) was within the average value of 1.7 found in 6 European countries. Th e scientific productivity of these spectometres in Spain (10.3 publications per unit), compares with the ratio (12.4) found in the United Kingdom and was above the six countries' average (8.3). Larger differences in productiv ity were observed between Spanish Autonomous Communities, suggesting the ex istence of important laguna in the distributive side of the allocation poli cy. Consistent with its socio-sanitary importance. the regional distributio n of MR imaging equipment in Spain correlated with the number of sanitary p ersonnel and regional population or wealth. The average number of installed units per million inhabitants in Spain (3.3) is very close to the average found in five European countries and the diagnostic procedures per installe d units are close to the 5 countries' average values of 3400/year. However, the scientific productivity of MR imaging equipment in Spain (1.6 publicat ions per installed unit in the five year period) was very low as compared w ith other European countries (3.7 on average). Higher diagnostic demand or lower publication pressures could explain these differences equally well. O ur results suggest that increases in scientific productivity and medical pe rformance of MR instrumentation in Spanish Autonomous Communities may not n ecessarily involve a net increase in the number of MR instruments but rathe r, improvements in the global socio-economic throughputs derived from the o rganisation of R&D and medical service policies.