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.

“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?