Growth potential for cardiology PACS in Europe
21 June 2006
London, England. In an era of restricted European healthcare investment, the
cardiology picture archiving and communications system (PACS) market is
expected to show significant growth potential, driven by end-user
willingness to locate funds to purchase this equipment.
A Frost & Sullivan study concludes that that the European Cardiology PACS
Market earned revenues of US$73.6 million in 2005 and estimates this will
reach US$200.5 million in 2012. This willingness to purchase systems will
be built upon the need for digital management of an increasingly
overwhelming amount of cardiology information — a need that is being ever
more adequately addressed by the inclusion of improved cardiology-specific
tools in cardiology PACS/ cardiology information systems (CIS) from
suppliers. "An aging population, rising levels of obesity, and a high
incidence of heart and circulatory disease are increasing the amount of
cardiology studies by 20 per cent a year" notes Frost & Sullivan Medical
Imaging Team Leader, Martin Bryant. "This overriding demographic factor will
drive growth in the cardiology PACS market." The mounting incidence of
heart disease has been paralleled by the retirement of the affluent baby
boomer population, a group that is increasingly willing to pay for services
not provided by public health authorities. This has resulted in an urgent
need for some form of image and data management in the realm of cardiology
in order to effectively cope with the huge volumes of information generated
by these new studies. Accordingly, healthcare providers are boosting
investments in cardiology PACS systems. Despite the acceptance shown
towards these systems, however, the financial pressures felt by end users is
likely to reduce the investments in the infrastructure needed to house a
cardiology PACS. Cardiologists sometimes find it harder to make a case for
the necessary investment this entails, as, unlike the radiology department,
cardiology does not serve the rest of the hospital, and other departments do
not use cardiology PACS as extensively as they do radiology PACS. "In
Europe, the distinct lack of healthcare investments will be felt most
acutely in the cardiology PACS market, purchase of which signifies incurring
substantial upfront costs," explains Mr. Bryant. "This problem is
exacerbated by the predominance of the capital investment model in Europe,
with many providers reluctant to take out leasing options." Designing a
cardiology PACS system based on an open architecture, with sufficient
flexibility will be the key to overcoming this restraint. End users with
existing radiology PACS infrastructure will be able to opt for cardiology
PACS and CIS modules that suit their needs, and fit onto existing radiology
networks and archiving. To top
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