In a newly published survey of 100 healthcare providers, Orem, Utah-based research firm KLAS has found that 83 percent have purchased or are seriously considering purchasing a dose monitoring solution as they look to comply with government regulations and JCAHO (Joint Commission) certification, and improve quality.
In its report "Radiology Dose Monitoring Solutions 2014," KLAS found that two vendors are dominating the market--Bayer and GE Healthcare. KLAS reported that of the providers who have already purchased a dose monitoring solution, 52 percent have chosen Bayer or a partnering vendor such as Siemens, while 16 percent selected GE.
"While Bayer and GE are currently capturing the majority of the mindshare, other players have garnered some attention. However, they have an uphill battle in trying to compete with the two mindshare leaders," said Matt Terry, report author, in an announcement. "The interest level is high as organizations attempt to figure out which solution makes the most sense for them. Options range from full, robust solutions with all the bells and whistles, to simpler solutions that can still get the job done, to PACS solutions that now offer dose monitoring capabilities."
A problem for some PACS/RIS vendors, KLAS found, is that they aren't doing a very good job of publicizing their dose reporting offerings.
According to the report, of the 83 survey respondents who have already purchased or plan to purchase a dose monitoring solution, 30 percent already have a solution in place; 26 percent plan on adding one within the next year; and 39 percent plan on purchasing one in the next two years.
Regarding how providers plan to use the data collected (other than meeting compliance requirements), 38 percent said they will use dose monitoring for quality improvement; 29 percent for compliance purposes; 12 percent for patient education; 8 percent for physician education; and 7 percent for marketing.
Reducing the risks associated with radiation dose continues to be a concern for radiologist and medical imagers. Many providers--including those at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, St. Louis Children's Hospital and the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston--are looking for innovative ways to improve their radiation safety efforts.
To learn more:
- see the announcement from KLAS