Abstract Introduction: In recent years, an increase in the need for health services has been seen due to factors such as advancements in medical technology, an aging population, and it is predicted that this pattern will continue to grow. Diagnostic services play a crucial role in healthcare, contribute significantly to total healthcare costs, and are influenced by induced demand. Hence, it is crucial to examine the usage patterns of these services. Goal: To investigate the level of inappropriate utilization of medical diagnostic imaging services in various countries globally. Research Method: This research is focused on comparing different countries, including Iran, to evaluate the extent of unnecessary utilization of medical imaging services utilizing systematic review and meta-analysis techniques. Findings: Results show that the percentage of unnecessary prescriptions for medical imaging services ranges from 1% to 97.5% in various countries. In Iran, unnecessary prescriptions for medical imaging services vary from 21% to 76% fluctuates. Legal issues, conflicts of interest, governance challenges, policy-making, financial incentives, service delivery structures, health culture, education and retraining systems, funding and purchasing services, political factors, and insurance system weaknesses are among the key factors that impact unnecessary prescriptions and imaging service utilization. There are three main categories of control interventions: policy interventions, monitoring and evaluation, and education. Conclusion: The inappropriate use of health services, including in Iran, is a serious and significant challenge. Even in countries with highly regulated healthcare systems, approximately one-quarter of medical imaging services are unnecessary. Various factors contribute to this issue, the most important of which include out-of-pocket payments covered by insurance plans, legal concerns and defensive medicine, and filling knowledge gaps.

Keywords: Medical Imaging; Irrational Use; Various Countries; Iran.