MEDEC urges Ontario government to develop strategy for PET scanning technology

On behalf of its Medical Imaging Sector, MEDEC, Canada's Medical Technology Companies, is calling on the Ontario government to develop a comprehensive strategy for the deployment of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanning technology across the Province.  MEDEC has submitted recommendations to the Ontario government in a Task Force Report on Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanning in Ontario.

Compared to the rest of the world access to PET scanning remains limited in Ontario, MEDEC says. PET scans are restricted to a select number of health indications.  Access to PET technology offers Ontario cancer patients greater hope for a more accurate diagnosis and potentially better outcomes.  MEDEC believes appropriate use of PET scanning in Ontario should include additional indications, evidenced by broader use and supported by scientific and clinical evidence in a number of other jurisdictions.

Ontario's PET strategy should consider additional PET and CT scan deployment, as well as the timely replacement of aging PET equipment, MEDEC says. A PET Strategy should be a regular, ongoing part of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) budget process within the context of a broad diagnostic strategy for the Province.

As the reimbursed procedures are for oncology and cardiac indications, the Task Force Report recommends that, over the next 2 to 3 years, Ontario should have a plan to provide at least one PET scan camera for each of the designated Cancer Centers and Cardiac Centers depending on regional needs, geography and global standards.

MEDEC also called on the Ontario Government to:

• Initiate an ongoing process to i) regularly monitor lists of indications approved for funding in other jurisdictions; and ii) expand the list of indications approved for insurable PET coverage in Ontario, based on current scientific and clinical data available locally and from those other jurisdictions, rather than exclusively through local clinical trials.
• Include the medical imaging industry, through MEDEC, in the planning process to ensure appropriate infrastructure planning and deployment and ensure a sustainable diagnostic isotope supply.
• Work with health care professional groups to ensure an adequate supply of trained human resources is available to support the PET implementation strategy for the Province.
• Develop and disseminate guidelines for the appropriate referral and use of PET scanning in Ontario in consultation with various stakeholders and health care professionals.
• Establish a PET Education Task Force to ensure that key stakeholders, especially the public and the province's community of referring physicians, are made aware of PET availability, benefits and processes so that all relevant parties understand and optimize use of this technology.

The MEDEC extensive report examines topics such as the Evolution of PET Imaging Technology; the PET Technology Ecosystem; the PET Landscape in US, Europe, and across Canada; Cost Reduction Strategies; Changed Patient Management Strategies; Recommendations for Clinical Guidelines; Beyond Diagnosis and Staging; and Recommendations for Ontario Going Forward.

The paper is available at http://www.medec.org/en/content/positions-issues.