Medical Diagnostic Equipment Still in Budgets

Despite a difficult first quarter of 2009, many U.S. hospital radiology administrators expect to see the strings untie on their capital equipment budgets enough to enable the acquisition of key diagnostic imaging equipment later this year, according to a new study of 250 U.S. hospitals by market research firm IMV Medical Information Division of Des Plaines, IL.

IMV found that 70% of hospital radiology departments surveyed are operating under partial or total capital equipment spending freezes. In addition, 2009 capital budgets fell 20% on average from actual 2008 expenditures, notes Mary Patton, director of market research at IMV. Declining reimbursements, growing precertification requirements, and mounting bad debt also represent ongoing challenges, she added.

On the positive side, many radiology administrators still expect to purchase selected imaging equipment during 2009. Digital mammography, digital radiography, and fluoroscopy equipment, along with 64-slice or greater CT scanners, are among the most likely equipment acquisitions this year.

The report features research conducted in April 2009 and provides insight into radiology department purchase plans for late 2009 and 2010.

The report also found the following:

• On average, imaging procedure volumes have experienced increases from Q1 2008 to Q1 2009 for modalities such as CT, digital radiography, non-ob/gyn ultrasound, MRI, and PET.
• Many diagnostic imaging equipment purchases budgeted for 2009 have not been cancelled, but rather postponed into late 2009 or 2010.
• Radiology departments are focused on upgrading from analog to digital technologies for their image storage and management needs.
• Two in five facilities with PACS networks installed plan to add one or more upgrades to their PACS over the next two years, particularly those hospitals with 400 beds or more.
• 80% of surveyed radiology administrators refuse to downgrade their expectations regarding the level of technology or types of features they demand from any imaging modality.
• Despite the economic recession, almost two-thirds of the surveyed radiology administrators reported that their hospitals are proceeding to implement selected capital projects during 2009.