Report: Providers Plan more Medical Equipment Purchases in 2011

According to a new market perception study from the Orem, Utah-based KLAS, providers are planning more purchases this year, up 10 percent from last year. The study, titled “Diagnostic Imaging Purchases 2010: Spending Increases, Loyalty is Tested,” takes a look at the purchasing decisions made by more than 230 radiology departments regarding over $200 million worth of equipment purchases. While there are more providers making purchases this year, competition for those dollars is on the rise.

The top two vendors considered in purchasing decisions are Siemens and GE, number one and two respectively. Philips and Toshiba make up the second tier behind the leaders. Of the deals discussed, MRI was mentioned most often, followed by CT, ultrasound, digital X-ray and digital mammography.

Though providers have loosened their purse strings a bit, the economy has held back some deals and providers continue to make vendors compete hard for those still limited dollars. Notable trends have emerged for each modality market segment. Wide-bore is still the hot ticket for the MR market segment. Siemens, the market leader in wide-bore technology, is the top considered vendor in that segment. Dose is what most providers are talking about when considering CT purchases. GE has the most mindshare in CT.