Factors influencing medical imaging technology uptake by private hospitals

Abstract

Abstract Purpose This article analyses the factors influencing the uptake of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies by a sample of private hospitals located in Galicia-North of Portugal European Region. Methods Regarding adoption, associations with the different variables were analysed by means of binary logistic regression for CT and MRI of data from 24 private hospitals for the period 2006–2019. The sample data used to perform the regression analyses were panel data (Wooldridge in Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1) and statistical significance was established at p ≤ 0.05. Results We find that hospital size, proxied by the number of beds, best explains the decision to adopt CT technology, while the only sociodemographic variable that affects the adoption decision is age above 64 years. Hospital size is also the main explanatory variable for MRI technology adoption, and in this case, all sociodemographic variables, except for population density, affect the adoption decision. Conclusions The availability of a CT scanner reduces the probability of a private hospital adopting MRI technology. Contracts with Public Sector have a counterfactual effect on CT uptake and a negative influence on MRI uptake.