Key result
Healthcare infrastructure capacity strongly predicts medical imaging device density, outperforming healthcare expenditures.
Why the study?
Medical imaging technologies have a critical role in healthcare, but the global distribution and relationships between advanced imaging devices and healthcare infrastructure across countries required investigation.
Observational
Effect estimate: R2 0.827
p-value: p=<0.01
Strategic planning and targeted resource allocation, rather than mere budget increases, are essential for optimizing medical imaging infrastructure and integrating AI technologies.
Infrastructure capacity may guide imaging resource planning over expenditures; leaves open causal effects on device density and AI adoption.
Medical imaging technologies have a critical role in improving healthcare efficiency, diagnostic accuracy, and patient outcomes. This study investigates the global distribution of advanced medical imaging devices such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and mammography across OECD countries between 2015 and 2023 using OECD health data. Using correlation and regression analyses, this research explores the relationships between imaging device density, healthcare infrastructure capacity, population size, and healthcare expenditures. The analysis reveals a strong positive correlation between imaging device availability and healthcare infrastructure capacity (ρ = 0.77), as well as a robust association with population size (ρ = 0.87). In contrast, healthcare expenditures demonstrate a weaker relationship with these variables (ρ ≈ 0.41 - 0.55), indicating that strategic planning is essential beyond mere budget increases. K-Means clustering and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) categorize countries into distinct groups according to imaging technology availability and infrastructure capacity. Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within medical imaging is highlighted as a promising approach for enhancing early diagnosis, reducing unnecessary healthcare utilization, and improving operational efficiency. Findings emphasize that effective healthcare policies should focus not only on increasing budgets but also on targeted resource allocation, infrastructure optimization, and adoption of advanced AI technologies.
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Özel Sebetçi (2025) conducted an observational in Medical imaging device distribution. Healthcare infrastructure capacity vs. Healthcare expenditures was evaluated on Imaging device density (R2 0.827, p=<0.01). Healthcare infrastructure capacity was the most significant predictor of medical imaging device density (R2 = 0.827, p < 0.01), showing a stronger association than healthcare expenditures.
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