As 2015 approaches, many medical imaging specialists might be considering upgrades to their existing systems to improve clinical services. But with so many different options available to them, health care providers could have a hard time adopting the right software.
Global radiology PACS market set to grow
Over the next four years, the PACS software industry is poised to exceed its 2013 value of $1.86 billion due to an expected compounded annual growth rate of 4 percent through 2019. North America accounted for 47.9 percent of the global market this year, giving it the largest share for radiology PACS.
The annual report, conducted and published by industry research firm MicroMarketMonitor, revealed that the major driver behind the growth is innovations in PACS technology. Recently, vendors have made efforts to improve the product's integration with existing legacy systems, such as electronic medical records and diagnostic radiology equipment. In addition, the rising demand for PACS in hospitals has created new growth opportunities for these platforms around the world.
However, specific factors might have an impact on the potential market growth until 2019. Vendor hardware specificity, rising costs of the technology and increasing needs for IT professionals could derail the uptick in PACS' value, but providers' desires for more functionality in these products could lead to further innovations in the market.
Doctors want more from their PACS systems
According to a study from Health Information and Management Systems Society Analytics, the growing need for additional functionality to image management and sharing is causing organizations to upgrade existing technology, FierceMedicalImaging reported.
The brief, titled "2014 Imaging Technology Study," revealed that 68 percent of respondents were planning to purchase a new system upgrade or replace their current products in the coming year.
"With everything that is happening with the HITECH Act and Meaningful Use we wanted to focus on that next level of technology," Brendan Fitzgerald, HIMSS Analytics research director, told FierceMedicalImaging. "Sharing images – not only within departments but across organizations – is going to be vitally important."
Another highlight of the report was the indication that despite the limited capabilities of mobile devices for accessing medical images, this technology's functionality will increase over the next few years. For instance, 8.2 percent of survey respondents reported they currently use smartphones for image review, but the number itself is expected to increase to roughly 35 percent by 2016. In addition, the 17.2 percent of providers who opt for handheld tablets will rise to 38.8 percent in the same time frame.
As radiologists improve their services and enhance the data analytics provided to patients, the products they use will need to improve, as well. With more EHRs offering image integration and sharing, the digital imaging industry will experience significant gains in quality. As providers demand more functionality, vendors will surely keep an ear to the ground in 2015.
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Ronny Bachrach
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