PET SCANS: About 1.6 million clinical scans in 2014

My favorite source for imaging procedure utilization estimates for the U.S. is the data vendor IMV Medical Information Division, Inc.  They offer Benchmark Reports for different imaging modalities; the latest one out is for positron emission tomography (PET) scanning.  I like it that they have data from hospital and non-hospital sites and that some comparative historical data are given.

Here is an example:

• 1,616,900 total clinical PET scans (2014)
• Comparable data are given for each year from 2005 to 2013
• Interestingly, the inflection point was 2011, when the clinical PET utilization topped out at 1,853,700
• Anybody have thoughts as to why clinical PET utilization, after rising steadily and consistently from 2005 to 2011 is now headed down?

Source: Benchmark Report: PET Imaging 2014. (2014). Des Plaines, Ill.: IMV Medical Information Division.