[jrowley]

Time on an MRI scanner (and to interpret and communicate the result) is a limited resource.

I fear unrestricted access would lead to over utilization by some people at the cost of less utilization by others. It could also lead to nontrivial psychological stress for people who can’t get a full understanding of the results. But I do think we need to strive for increased transparency from price lists to EHR interoperability to patient access to their own records.

[gowld]

MRI is profitable and not made from scarce materials. Increased demand will increase production.

Doctors are only scarce because they are members of a guild that uses monopoly power to restrict competition to prop up prices.

[jrowley]

MRIs depend on liquid helium, a scarce material by definition, but that's besides the point.

There is a high bar to becoming a physician because the consequences for error can be so incredibly high. I want there to be more physicians/access to medical care than ever but I don't think compromising on quality is the way to get there.

[polishdude20]

Actually helium being scarce is a myth.

[jrowley]

Are you sure? Seems to be pretty well documented that there is a shortage?

https://priceonomics.com/the-increasing-scarcity-of-helium/

http://www.heliumscarcity.com/

[labawi]

When it's cheaper to keep refilling an MRI scanner that boils off lots of helium, than buying one that loses only a little bit, then yes, you use a lot of helium.

It's not like we haven't discovered higher temperature superconductors that could be used, even if we didn't have helium.

EDIT: You can permanently fill 100 of these[1] per year with the boil off of one shitty MRI. Is uses about 1kg of He, so one year of world helium production would be enough to make one MRI machine for every 200 people. We are not constrained by helium.

[1] https://images.philips.com/is/content/PhilipsConsumer/Campai...

[labawi]

> Time on MRI scanner .. is a limited resource.

It's a limited resource similar to houses and carpenters. If it is permitted and there is funding, more can be built/trained.