PACS at ECR: Business As Usual?
Was it just business as usual for PACS vendors at this year’s European Congress of Radiology? That’s the assessment of one medical research firm that surveyed the PACS landscape at the congress.
Was it just business as usual for PACS vendors at this year’s European Congress of Radiology? That’s the assessment of one medical research firm that surveyed the PACS landscape at the congress.
“Suppliers seemed focused on capitalizing on available solutions rather than on the innovations of the future,” according to InMedica, IMS Research’s UK-based medical research group. “Consequently, the atmosphere was highly competitive, with an increased choise of vendors reacting to the growing demand for PACS projects, especially those of an enterprise nature, across Europe.”
The group’s analysts noted, however, that PACS vendors were indeed unified on the need for advancements, such as more RIS and EHR integration, image access via EHRs, vendor-neutral archiving, and Web-based access to images.
Analysts also highlighted a few “exciting platforms that were presented,” including Merge’s iConnect which allows for information sharing; Agfa Healthcare’s Integrated Regional Imaging Program, an image and information management system integrated across sites; and Carestream’s Web-based eHealth PACS. The group also noted Sectra’s emphasis for work flow solutions, and Philip’s push to attract a cost-conscious audience with its MDC PACS.
“These solutions all address important radiology needs,” according to InMedica. “This points to an important situation in the PACS market: tightening competition in mature markets, increased hospital awareness of PACS benefits and suppliers, the willingness of radiologists to try new vendors, and vendors to try new markets.”
Do you agree? What did you observe at ECR 2011?
New Analysis Forecasts Substantial Cost Savings with the Use of Photon Counting CT for CCTA
March 8th 2025The use of ultra-high-resolution photon-counting CT in the evaluation of stable chest pain may significantly reduce follow-up tests and invasive coronary angiography (ICA) procedures, possibly resulting in millions in health-care cost savings, according to a cost-effectiveness analysis presented recently at the European Congress of Radiology.
Can Deep Learning Ultra-Fast bpMRI Have an Impact in Prostate Cancer Imaging?
March 3rd 2025A deep learning-enhanced ultra-fast bpMRI protocol offered similar sensitivity for csPCa as mpMRI with an 80 percent reduction in scan time, according to research findings presented at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) conference.
ECR Mammography Study: Pre-Op CEM Detects 34 Percent More Multifocal Masses than Mammography
February 28th 2025In addition to contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) demonstrating over a 90 percent detection rate for multifocal masses, researchers found that no significant difference between histological measurements and CEM, according to study findings presented at the European Congress of Radiology.
ECR Study Finds Mixed Results with AI on Breast Ultrasound
March 6th 2024While adjunctive use of AI led to significantly higher specificity and accuracy rates in detecting cancer on breast ultrasound exams in comparison to unassisted reading by breast radiologists, researchers noted that 12 of 13 BI-RADS 3 lesions upgraded by AI were ultimately benign, according to research presented at the European Congress of Radiology.
Can Autonomous AI Help Reduce Prostate MRI Workloads Without Affecting Quality?
March 1st 2024Based on findings from a multicenter study of over 1,600 patients, researchers at the European Congress of Radiology suggest the inclusion of autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) triage could facilitate up to a 75 percent reduction in prostate MRI reading workload.
