Utilization of high-technology modalities increased rapidly, while that of radiography was relatively stagnant. Variation in utilization among states and census regions was substantial.

No abstract

Physicians who do not refer their patients to radiologists for medical imaging use imaging examinations more frequently than do physicians who refer their patients to radiologists, and the charges are usually higher when the imaging is done by the self-referring physician. From our results it is not possible to determine which group of physicians uses imaging more appropriately.