October 19th, 2007
Today's Debate: How far can scans go?
A few years ago I had a colonoscopy. It was not nearly as bad as advertised – get yours now. (This gentleman has a CT scan scheduled for Monday — good luck, Kos.)
But it was, technically, a procedure. I was knocked out and equipment went inside my body. This is always risky.
Two new studies show my next one may not be necessary. Virtual colonography, using a CT scanner to to take a series of X-rays and a computer to create a 3-D view, may work better.
Something similar is happening in heart disease, using the iLab Ultrasound imager from Boston Scientific. No more guessing about coronary artery disease. Check things with a machine and the patient who doesn’t need an angioplasty walks away.
These scans also cost less than operations. The big problem is that, since they’re cheap and painless, doctors may be tempted to over-prescribe them. Insurance carriers are working hard to prevent this. Some say, too hard.
Today’s question, then. How far can this trend go? And how will we control costs when it’s so much easier to be safe than sorry?
Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist since 1978, and has covered technology since 1982. He launched the Interactive Age Daily, the first daily coverage of the Internet to launch with a magazine, in September 1994. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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