While no longer an integral part of many large imaging centers, computed radiography (CR) equipment is finding new life outside of traditional imaging departments in physician practices and outpatient clinics, according to research from KLAS (Orem, Utah).
According to the report — Computed Radiography: Digital Imaging Reaches the Physician Practice — the large majority of recent CR purchases have been for single-plate equipment, which is well-suited for lower-volume, lower-cost deployments at point-of-care settings and physician offices.
The hospital market for CR, however, is flat, notes KLAS. Large hospitals continue to move to digital radiography (DR) and community hospitals are in replacement mode for CR equipment and probably will not expand their CR footprint.
However, despite the lack of growth in some areas, provider satisfaction with CR equipment remains high. Konica Minolta, Carestream and FUJIFILM all scored above 90 in the multi-plate section of the report, says KLAS. Konica Minolta Xpress Dual Bay was the highest-rated multi-plate product, with a performance score of 91.4, followed by Carestream DirectView 975 and FUJIFILM FCR XG5000. The Agfa CR 30-X product took the top spot among single-plate products, with a score of 89.8, followed by Konica Minolta REGIUS Nano and Philips PCR Eleva S.
To learn more about the CR market or to purchase the report, please visit www.KLASresearch.com/reports.
