During these unprecedented times, we really need to be mindful of our limited resources. As an orthopaedic surgeon, I am seeing more and more unnecessary musculoskeletal MRI scans ordered for arthritic problems. This is increasing the wait list for the investigation and adding a great deal of cost to our system. The government keeps spending more to keep up with the demand for the scans. However, we really need to focus on establishing better criteria for when to order the scans to decrease unnecessary tests. In my practice, at least 75% of the scans I see in referrals did not need to be done in the first place. They did not help with the diagnosis or aid in treatment decisions.
—Kostas Panagiotopoulos, MD
West Vancouver