Healthcare Providers Demand Feedback About Computed Radiography

Main Category: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine
Also Included In: MRI / PET / Ultrasound;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics;  IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 05 May 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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KLAS investigates single-cassette, also known as single-plate, computed radiography (CR) in this groundbreaking study, as a result of healthcare provider demand for feedback on direct user experiences with CR systems and vendors.

CR equipment is a sizable market as a result of PACS technology and the possible prohibitive costs associated with digital radiography (DR) systems. Nearly 60 percent of the images acquired in hospitals come from x-ray. Converting x-ray images to digital media for image capture and storage is a way for radiology departments and imaging centers to enhance workflow efficiency and control long-term cost.

Some healthcare facilities are unable to justify the jump to DR in the face of technology limitations and budgetary constraints. These facilities may consist of smaller output clinics, rural hospitals, or radiology departments with low volumes. In these cases, the interim step of CR is a viable option and makes up a significant portion of the radiography equipment available on today's market.

For this study, KLAS spoke with more than 140 individual healthcare professionals for feedback about the products and vendors they utilize to uncover the strengths and weaknesses in the market. Respondents rated their products and vendors with an average performance score of 88 out of 100. Among the questions KLAS asked were whether providers felt that they received their money's worth, if CR implementation was within budget, and if the support costs for CR were as expected, since cost is a large factor in the decision to utilize CR systems.

Vendors included in this report are Agfa, Carestream, FUJIFILM, Konica, Philips, and Radlink.

For more information about CR, other imaging modules, or other medical equipment related reports and data, visit KLAS' website or contact a researcher.

About KLAS

KLAS is a research firm specializing in monitoring and reporting the performance of healthcare vendors. KLAS' mission is to improve delivery, by independently measuring vendor performance for the benefit of our healthcare provider partners, consultants, investors, and vendors. Working together with executives from over 4500 hospitals and over 2500 clinics, KLAS delivers timely reports, trends, and statistics, which provide a solid overview of vendor performance in the industry. KLAS measures performance of software, professional services, and medical equipment vendors. For more information, go to http://www.KLASresearch.com, email marketing@KLASresearch.com, or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative.

http://www.KLASresearch.com