[Monarch Butterfly]

it says Canada -- was this Ontario?

And there is always more to the story than we see with these -- how urgently did he need the MRI? Anyone I know (yes, anecdotal evidence here) who has needed one urgently has got one. There are private clinics in the GTA or he could have gone to the US as well.

In Ontario, wait times for MRI scans vary significantly depending on the urgency of the case and the location. While the province aims for a 28-day wait time, many patients experience longer delays, especially for non-urgent cases.

The average wait time for an MRI in Ontario can range from 35 to 140 days, with an average of 63 days. Wait times are determined by a four-tier priority system, with shorter waits for more urgent cases.

Compare with a non-resident visiting China and getting a MRI without an appointment.

 

[PinkLucy]

Well sure if you happen to be in China. Again, we have private clinics that get you in pretty quickly, and yes they cost more than $120 but no airfare required.

 

[Thinker]

it says Canada -- was this Ontario?

And there is always more to the story than we see with these -- how urgently did he need the MRI? Anyone I know (yes, anecdotal evidence here) who has needed one urgently has got one. There are private clinics in the GTA or he could have gone to the US as well.

I have serious back problems, have had several MRI’s and CT scans, my first MRI was done several years ago, had to wait 2 months once diagnosis was clear, I never had to wait more than a week for further investigations. My son had cancer, no wait time after he was diagnosed. You may have to wait for the initial MRI and yes weeks are certainly not unheard of. This was done at MGH which is relatively small compared with trauma units. PMH no wait times more than days or immediately.

 

[PinkLucy]

I have serious back problems, have had several MRI’s and CT scans, my first MRI was done several years ago, had to wait 2 months once diagnosis was clear, I never had to wait more than a week for further investigations. My son had cancer, no wait time after he was diagnosed. You may have to wait for the initial MRI and yes weeks are certainly not unheard of. This was done at MGH which is relatively small compared with trauma units. PMH no wait times more than days or immediately.

Yes definitely once you are in the system, wait times are minimal (going through this now with a family member).

 

[Northern Light]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1932622916354507180

For those of us with high privacy settings, this is not viewable without some fussing. Please include a screenshot when posting from 'X'.

Elsewise I see this:

 

[T3G]

For those of us with high privacy settings, this is not viewable without some fussing. Please include a screenshot when posting from 'X'.

Elsewise I see this:

View attachment 658024

A good idea to do that with any kind of external link, honestly. I have a script blocker/Ublock combination which blocks not only Twitter posts embedded in here, but also Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

 

[Northern Light]

I have serious back problems, have had several MRI’s and CT scans, my first MRI was done several years ago, had to wait 2 months once diagnosis was clear, I never had to wait more than a week for further investigations. My son had cancer, no wait time after he was diagnosed. You may have to wait for the initial MRI and yes weeks are certainly not unheard of. This was done at MGH which is relatively small compared with trauma units. PMH no wait times more than days or immediately.

I have to say, my own experiences, personally and with my parents in their last years weren't as good.

My father had a broken back.....(didn't know that was the issue), but was obviously in pain and having severe difficulty walking...........I got him to the ER, they were actually going to discharge him if I hadn't forced a neuro-consult.

While an MRI was ordered, it was a holiday weekend and they took 3 days to do the MRI, when the surgeon heard this....he was apoplectic saying if the scan had been done in real time, and then my dad sent him immediately, he might have been able to walk again.

He was not.

****

Beyond that, non-urgent wait times are actually abysmal in my experience. For a patient deemed non-urgent waits can exceed six months. If it turns out you have cancer, that's potentially six months of unchecked growth/metastasis.

Here are the actual wait times, copied by me, from the Ontario Health website, here:

Results for Diagnostic Imaging | Ontario Health

www.ontariohealth.ca

(these are MRI, Adult, Toronto), Priority 4 patients are the lowest priority, generally, non-hospitalized and non-diagnosed. Priority 1 is life/death in the ER, Priority 2 would have you in hospital and acute, and 3 is between 2, and 4 (self-evidently)

Keep in mind, the medically recommended assessment time for a level 4 patient is within (at most) 30 days.

 

[evandyk]

I had to get an MRI last year (non-urgent) and the wait time was almost seven months.

 

[Northern Light]

I had to get an MRI last year (non-urgent) and the wait time was almost seven months.

Which is really unacceptable. Early diagnosis and intervention saves money and lives.

Diagnostic Imaging is non-invasive and relatively low cost both operationally and capitally.

A procedure with a nominal cost of ~$800 could result in less invasive surgery or much shorter cancer treatment etc etc. That could save thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.

The capital cost of another 150 machines in Ontario (across all types would average out at just under 2M a pop, roughly 1M for a CT Scanner, 1.5M -2M for an MRI and 3-4M for a PET Scanner) ..

That's a total of 300M, over 3 years, say, or 100M per year, in a Ministry with upwards of 80B in annual spending.

 

[zang]

I had to get an MRI last year (non-urgent) and the wait time was almost seven months.

Currently, here in the GTA, MRIs are being done 24/7. My wife has over the past year had to attend a couple dead in the middle of the night. Likewise, my father-in-law had similar before he passed.

If the wait is not going down, it seems it's a problem of not enough equipment, or not enough staff and not intentionally making people wait.

 

[Northern Light]

Currently, here in the GTA, MRIs are being done 24/7. My wife has over the past year had to attend a couple dead in the middle of the night. Likewise, my father-in-law had similar before he passed.

If the wait is not going down, it seems it's a problem of not enough equipment, or not enough staff and not intentionally making people wait.

From the World Health Organization:

Medical devices: magnetic resonance imaging units (per million population), total density

The GHO data repository is WHO's gateway to health-related statistics for its 194 Member States. It provides access to over 1000 health topics indicators

www.who.int

In specific numbers, Canada is at 10.31 (year 2021)

The U.S. is 40.1 (which is excessive) though not as much as Japan with a whopping 55 machines per million people.

Other fairer comparisons would be:

Finland:: 38
Germany: 34.2
Austria: 23
Spain: 17.2
France: 15.8
Greece: 30
Ireland: 15.8
Australia: 14.7
NZ: 15.7

For Ontario, I can find data that says we had 157 machines in 2023, and the Ford gov't approved adding 49 which are currently coming online.

Our current population is 16.2M

This suggests a range of 9.69 machines per million to 12.71 when the rollout finishes. A big improvement, but still well below average.

Just a bump to 16 per million would dictate 58 more new machines.

 

[afransen]

I had to get an MRI last year (non-urgent) and the wait time was almost seven months.

It's apparently 500-1000 cad to get an MRI in Buffalo. I would be tempted if I were in need.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

From the World Health Organization:

Medical devices: magnetic resonance imaging units (per million population), total density

The GHO data repository is WHO's gateway to health-related statistics for its 194 Member States. It provides access to over 1000 health topics indicators

www.who.int

View attachment 658055


In specific numbers, Canada is at 10.31 (year 2021)

The U.S. is 40.1 (which is excessive) though not as much as Japan with a whopping 55 machines per million people.

Other fairer comparisons would be:

Finland:: 38
Germany: 34.2
Austria: 23
Spain: 17.2
France: 15.8
Greece: 30
Ireland: 15.8
Australia: 14.7
NZ: 15.7

For Ontario, I can find data that says we had 157 machines in 2023, and the Ford gov't approved adding 49 which are currently coming online.

Our current population is 16.2M

This suggests a range of 9.69 machines per million to 12.71 when the rollout finishes. A big improvement, but still well below average.

Just a bump to 16 per million would dictate 58 more new machines.

Guessing the folks in Greenland could head over to Iceland to make use of a MRI. Don't recommend coming over to Canada for that.

 

[PinkLucy]

You can get a whole body scan in Mississauga on Friday (they also have an Ajax-Pickering location) for $3250. https://wholebodymri.ca/book-your-scan/

 

[Northern Light]

You can get a whole body scan in Mississauga on Friday (they also have an Ajax-Pickering location) for $3250. https://wholebodymri.ca/book-your-scan/

Which works, if you have that disposable money available (which many do not), live nearby, and know about such a thing. The other caveat, that if everyone waiting more than a month lined up tomorrow at this location, they would all still be waiting for months. What makes it possible to get it done quickly is how few people can afford it.