Aim: Updated presentation of the spectrum of nuclear medicine in-vivo examinations and therapies from officially available statistics on out-patient and in-patient care as well as trends of structural data on nuclear medicine in Germany.
Methods: Data from the German Federal Health Monitoring, from the frequency statistics of the statutory health insurance for out-patients and from the German Medical Association were used and supplemented by data from selective literature searches.
Results: In descending order, thyroid, bone and cardiac scans continue to be the most frequent nuclear medicine procedures. With a marked increase of PET/CT and SPECT/CT, the number of basic scintigraphies is declining. Cardiac, lung and brain scans as well as lymph scintigraphies are increasingly requested, bone and thyroid scan decrease. The consultation of nuclear medicine physicians in private practices is increasing by 4 % per year (2009: 2 164 664; 2015: 2 687 359). The number of nuclear medicine physicians in the out-patient sector rose significantly (2009: 756, 2015: 939, growth 24 %) and has remained constant due to restrictions since 2013. The specialist recognitions of women in nuclear medicine increased (proportion currently 46 %). In hospitals, more PET(/CT) scanners (2009: 97; 2015: 125) and fewer gamma cameras (2009: 594; 2015: 550) are operated. The number of non-thyroid (and also out-patient) radionuclide therapies continued to increase.
Conclusion: With increased use of hybrid technologies, the nuclear medicine spectrum shows positive trends especially in nuclear cardiology and extra-thyroid therapy. These developments must be taken into account when amending regulations of specialist training and medical student teaching.
Keywords: PET; PET/CT; SPECT; SPECT/CT; frequency statistics; nuclear medicine; radionuclide therapy.