KLAS: In PACS market, it’s innovate or perish
As the PACS market expands, the most successful vendors will be those that offer meaningful upgrades to enhance usability in a timely manner, according to a report from market researcher KLAS.
“The top-rated PACS innovators have a track record of improvement,” Ben Brown, author of the report and KLAS research director said in a press release. “The vendors that land in the middle tier of this study offer solid technology and innovation, but at a slower pace. Vendors in that group are meeting most of providers’ expectations, but they are not exceeding them like the top-tier vendors are.”
According to a summary of the report, titled “Radiology PACS Technology: The World Looks Under the Covers," large PACS replacement and adoption opportunities will be available in the U.K., the Middle East and parts of both South America and Asia. KLAS cited an InMedica study that estimated the PACS, RIS and cardiovascular information system markets will be billion dollar markets each year over the next five years.
Top-rated vendors on the provider surveys were Infinitt, Intelerad, DR Systems, McKesson, Novarad and Sectra, according to KLAS. All top-rated vendors have improved radiologist tools with recent upgrades.
Carestream, Fuji, Merge and Philips make up the middle-tier of vendors in the KLAS report, with varying enthusiasm among providers.
In the bottom tier of PACS innovators were Agfa, Cerner, GE and Siemens, though KLAS noted that these vendors sill rated high for stability and integration.
The provider survey used in the report featured more than 1,500 responses, two-thirds coming from imaging directors or managers, according to KLAS.