I am doing some research and need to know the national or regional
averages of patients who have had a scan using a Positron Emission
Tomography machine (PET) in a given year (none older than the year
2000).  Ideal information would be a statistic such as ?X number of
people out of 100,000 people nation wide/region wide were scanned
using a PET machine."  I need a link or an email of a reliable source
of such statistical information.  I have already found the information
located in paper titled "Pet Scanning in Western New York 2003"
through the Niagara Health Quality Coalition so that information is
void from the search.  Thanks

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Request for Question Clarification by hummer-ga on 03 Oct 2005 13:56 PDT

Hi kordax,

Here are three possibible links. The Blue Cross / Blue Shield study is
terrific, unfortunately, PET scans take the back seat to MRIs.

How many PET studies are performed per year?
Approximately 350,000 PET scans will be performed in 2002. The numbers
of scans are increasing dramatically, now that PET is no longer only
for research purposes. It is estimated that within the next five years
in excess of 2,000,000 PET scans will be performed per year.
http://www.umm.edu/petct/pet_faq.html 

Blue Cross / Blue Shield
http://www.bcbs.com/coststudies/reports/Medical_Tech_Drivr_Rept_10.pdf

How many PET studies are performed per year?
"Approximately 900,000 PET scans were performed in 2004. The number of
PET scans are increasing dramatically, now that PET is no longer only
for research.
It is estimated that by 2010, in excess of 2,000,000 PET scans will be performed."
http://www.petscaninfo.com/zportal/portals/pat/faq/#faq14

This link isn't what you're after but it's interesting nonetheless and
may be useful.

"Capacity: Stationary Units: The measure of the optimal number of PET
scans per PET unit per year based upon the type of PET equipment to be
used (e.g., dedicated, hybrid, stationary, mobile). The optimal
efficiency or capacity for a stationary, fully-dedicated PET scanner
is 1,250 procedures/year. Total capacity of a PET scanner is 1,560
procedures per year and is based upon a daily operating efficiency of
six (6) procedures/day times 260 days of operation per year. Note: the
total capacity measure of dedicated PET units is expected to increase
as a result of advances in equipment technology and improvements in
provider operating efficiencies."
http://www.tennessee.gov/hsda/news/pet.pdf

I'll leave the question open in case someone else can find something
better. If these are satisfactory for your purposes, please let me
know.

Regards,
hummer

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Clarification of Question by kordax-ga on 04 Oct 2005 05:51 PDT

What I am trying to do is advice a hospital to either purchase or not
purchase a PET machine.  There are minimum standards that must be met
by the hospital in order for them to be able to purchase this machine.
 The purpose of this is to keep healthcare costs from going through
the roof due to unnecessary purchases.  In the Tennessee.gov link you
provided, it indicates a minimum standard of 1,250 procedures per year
by the second year regulated by the state of Tennessee.  Once the
machine is purchased, I need to set a price that the hospital can
charge dependant upon the average national/regional number of scans
preformed each year.  This will allow me to come up with an estimated
price per scan in which the hospital can charge each patient.  This is
great information but what I really need is actual number of scans
preformed in the past to see if these standards can be met and what
percent of patients were scanned (i.e. X number out of 100,000
patients)