Racial disparities found in outpatient imaging for cognitive impairment

CHICAGO – Black patients receive fewer MRI scans for Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and undergo imaging at an older age than other racial groups, according to research presented November 27 at RSNA 2023. Out of 1,699 people who underwent outpatient imaging to assess cognitive impairment at Boston Medical Center, Black patients were less likely to undergo MRI than CT and were significantly older than white and Hispanic patients at the time of imaging, according to presenter Joshua Wibecan, MD.“If disparity in obtaining access to neuroimaging is one possible barrier that delays diagnosis, it is important to identify this and figure out possible solutions to benefit these patients and prevent a delayed diagnosis,” Wibecan noted.Previous studies have shown that Black patients are at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, yet are less likely to have a diagnosis and are diagnosed at a more advanced stage of disease compared with white patients. While medical imaging – ideally with MRI – plays a key role in the diagnostic work-up of patients, it is unknown how disparities in imaging access may lead to these delays, Wibecan said.To that end, the researchers identified all outpatient CTs of the head, CT angiographies of the head, and MRI brain exams performed for cognitive impairment at their hospital between March 2018 and February 2022 (n = 1,699).They split the cohort into groups based on patient self-identified race – Black/African Americ...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Subspecialties MRI Neuroradiology 2023 Source Type: news