Purpose of Technology

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a three-dimensional (3D) nuclear imaging technique that measures the level of physiologic and biochemical activity or other organic function in an organ or tissue by reflecting the distribution of a radiotracer that has been administered to the patient. PET has been proposed as a method for diagnosing and predicting Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and for monitoring and predicting response to treatment for AD.

Questions addressed in this report include:

• Is PET an accurate diagnostic test for this application?
• How does PET compare with other techniques?
• What is the impact of PET on clinical management and health outcomes?
• Is it safe to use PET for this application?
• Have definitive patient selection criteria been established for using PET for this application?

These questions provide a framework for review and synthesis of the best available evidence, which is presented in this report, along with the Hayes Ratings for the technology. This report also provides background information about the condition being treated, a description of the technology, and the context for development of the technology. Other key elements addressed in the report include the regulatory status; applicable Medicare and commercial payer coverage policies; relevant ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnosis codes; cost and cost effectiveness; credentialing; hospital length of stay; need for large case management; and ongoing and future clinical trials of the technology.

Posted in Directory Reports
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 at 12:00 pm.