Date of Award
8-1-2012
Degree Name
Master of Science in Education
Department
Workforce Education and Development
First Advisor
Hagler, Barbara
Abstract
The introduction of clinical Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in oncology in the 1990s has substantially changed the management of patients with cancer and become one of the diagnostic modalities with the fastest growth worldwide (Buck et al., 2010). The major hurdle delaying the proliferation of PET was partly due to its high initial investment and insufficient third-party reimbursement (Keppler & Conti, 2001). Hong Kong, a region with about half the economic strength of Germany, was able to sustain a higher ratio of PET-CT scanners than that of Germany. Through the study of the PET utilization in Hong Kong, this research is to (i) explore the factors contributing to this phenomenon; and (ii) find out if those factors are applicable to other developing countries. The key factors found contributed to a higher ratio of PET-CT scanners in Hong Kong were: 1) medical expertise in a regionally profound disease; 2) the direct payment culture which enables an economically efficient and a cost-effective operation; 3) the influx of patients from neighboring countries; and 4) the reputation of its medical services. Applying these factors, citizens in developing countries were able to have access to the latest and expensive medical technology.
Access
This thesis is Open Access and may be downloaded by anyone.