The radiation therapy market, hit hard in 2009 by the recession, saw a sharp decline in purchasing from which it has slowly recovered. During the last five years the market has been steadily growing, with capital equipment budgets for radiation oncology sites increasing. However, it has only been within the last year that equipment purchases for radiation therapy have leveled out. Purchasing decisions today are driven by two main factors: advancements in technology, including more targeted treatment, multifunctional capabilities and improved patient safety; and the evolving reimbursement model, which weighs patient outcomes and the quality of care delivered more heavily.

June 3, 2014 — Elekta announced it signed an agreement to provide the Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal (University of Montreal Health Centre, or CHUM) with advanced linear accelerators and software. The order, resulting from a competitive tender process, is valued at more than $20 million USD.

June 3, 2014 — Research conducted by a group of neuroscientists has demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to train brain patterns associated with empathic feelings – more specifically, tenderness. The research showed that volunteers who received neurofeedback about their own brain activity patterns whilst being scanned inside a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine were able to change brain network function of areas related to tenderness and affection felt toward loved ones.

picasso woman with green hat.

An art critic once wrote, “If all women resembled those painted by Picasso, the Earth would be depopulated toward the end of the century.” The critic was speaking about Picasso’s “Woman in a Green Hat,” describing the model in the painting as “corpselike,” “greenish” and “formless.” 

June 3, 2014 — Summit Imaging, a privately held ultrasound medical equipment support company, announced its new standard six-month warranty for all parts and services. The company’s new warranty sets the bar for its industry, in which standard warranties range from 30 to 90 days.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 changed the healthcare IT landscape for providers by offering money in exchange for the adoption and implementation of electronic medical records (EMR). One year later, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) upped the ante with new regulations for privacy, accountable care and insurance coverage. The combination of the two acts has left most providers and provider organizations struggling to see the forest through the trees as the deadlines to comply with both acts draw ever closer.

As research and development continues to reveal the benefits of medical imaging in healthcare, vendors are steadily improving imaging scanners for added efficiency and workflow. Because advanced visualization technologies are a part of the larger medical imaging discussion, these products are also evolving and growing in response to innovation within medical imaging. 

Even for the most seasoned radiologists and hospital administrators, the rapid advances on new technology such as cloud storage, Web-based software and mobile apps may leave some wondering where to start when vetting healthcare IT vendors. For those who feel this description fits them, you are not alone; a session on this topic was packed solid during the 2014 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual meeting in February.
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