What Is SPECT and SPECT-CT?
SPECT is a nuclear imaging technique that provides 3-dimensional information on functional and molecular processes in the body. In SPECT-CT, SPECT is integrated with CT to combine the imaging strengths of both modalities. SPECT is primarily used for cardiac conditions (32.1%) as well as oncology (26.1%) and musculoskeletal diseases (13.4%). SPECT-CT is primarily used for oncology (26.6%) as well as cardiology (23.7%) and musculoskeletal diseases (23.1%).
Key Findings From the Survey
- There were 210 SPECT units in 9 provinces and 331 SPECT-CT units in 10 provinces identified by the CMII in its 2022–2023 national survey. There were no SPECT or SPECT-CT units operating in the territories.
- Canada has 5.3 SPECT units per million people and 8.3 SPECT-CT units per million people. The greatest density of SPECT units per million people is in Alberta and New Brunswick. The greatest density of SPECT-CT units per million people is in Newfoundland and Labrador.
- On average, SPECT and SPECT-CT units operate approximately 42 hours per week across the jurisdictions in Canada that have capacity.