MRI services in Ontario: Is evidence-based planning currently feasible?

Numerous reports suggest that wait lists for diagnostic tests such as MRI are long and growing in Ontario, and Canada as a whole (Esmail and Walker 2002; McDonald et al. 1998; Ontario Association of Radiologists 2002; Statistics Canada 2002). To address this concern, the Romanow report (2002) recommended national increased funding for diagnostic tests, while the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) authorized the opening of five new independent MRI facilities in Ontario later this year (Government of Ontario 2002). In July 2002, the MOHTLC asked the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) to assess the utility of routinely collected administrative data for evidence-based planning of future MRI services.