RT Journal
A1 Mitka M
T1 PHysician self-referrals
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2012
FD December 12
VO 308
IS 22
SP 2327
OP 2327
DO 10.1001/jama.2012.111282
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.111282
AB 
The GAO report, released October 31, looked at MRI and CT services from 2004 through 2010 and found the number of self-referred MRI services increased by more than 80%, compared with a 12% increase for MRI services that were not self-referred. For CT services, the GAO report found self-referred services more than doubled, while CT services that were not self-referred increased by about 30%. The report also found that physicians who began self-referring in 2009 increased MRI and CT referral on average by about 67% in 2010 compared with 2008; by contrast, the average number of referrals declined among physicians whose referral status did not change in that time, whether they were self-referrers or not (http://tinyurl.com/av9wfko).