With its ability to provide a window into the human body non-invasively, medical imaging has become a crucial component of modern, high-quality healthcare. When available, it is applied routinely to aid the diagnosis and management of a wide range of pathological conditions, including both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Innovation in imaging has been constant and rapid. Across the developed world, commonly used imaging technologies include radiography (for generating X-rays in a single plane) and cross-sectional modalities that acquire images in multiple planes, such as ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Increasingly, cross-sectional imaging technologies are able to reveal not just the anatomical locations of abnormalities but also information about physiology, function, and metabolism. Imaging modalities from nuclear medicine, such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET), provide additional insights into physiology and the location of disease.
IMAGING TECHNOLOGY FEATURES ON WHO LISTS FOR PRIORITY MEDICAL DEVICES
The World Health Organization has identified all of these imaging technologies as among the priority medical devices for addressing major global health concerns—including maternal, newborn, and child health, trauma care, COVID-19, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Furthermore, imaging is essential in the care of strokes—the second leading cause of death worldwide—as well as other neurologic conditions. Unfortunately, the accessibility of imaging technologies, like that of most other diagnostic tools, remains limited to nonexistent in large swaths of the world.
INCREASED IMAGING ACCESS IMPROVES HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR PATIENTS GLOBALLY
The Lancet Oncology Commission on Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine assembled the first-ever comprehensive database on the global availability of advanced cross-sectional and nuclear medicine imaging modalities. In addition, focusing specifically on cancer care and using advanced modeling techniques it provided conclusive evidence that increasing access to imaging will result in improved human health and economic well-being despite its up-front financial costs. Greater imaging access will enable markedly better health outcomes for patients in low-, middle-income, and high-income countries and ensure optimal health care can be delivered equitably.