Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an essential medical equipment for medical care nowadays, but the profitability of MRI might be influenced by the usage and performance of MRI. The main purpose of this research is to estimate cost and profit of MRIs in 2011 by hospital size and prefectures, and discussed about the difference in number of beds and regions in profitability of MRIs. MRIs with 1.5 Tesla or more could be almost profitable, but almost deficit for MRIs with less than 1.5 Tesla. The profitability of MRIs could be influenced by the cost of care, and correlate between population and number of doctors per MRI. The results of this research suggested that it is recommended for hospitals in Japan to purchase and operate more than 1.5 Tesla MRI as for the point of views of hospital management. It could be better to consider not only the clinical necessity but also profitability for purchasing MRIs.
