Wireless Digital X-ray Technology Offers Better Image Quality, Lower Dose Levels, and Improved Customer Satisfaction

    OREM, UT, July 26, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- X-ray technology, one of the healthcare industry's key diagnostic imaging tools, is changing, according to a new KLAS report entitled "Digital X-ray 2011: An Untethered Market." Digital radiography has become increasingly desirable for a number of reasons, including reduction in dose levels, improvement of imaging quality, and increased patient satisfaction. Additionally, a trend toward wireless systems is developing--with many vendors effectively "cutting the cord" to make the technology more mobile and an increased number of vendors offering wireless detectors over the past two years as a result of 510(k) Clearance.

This new report is an important source of information for providers ready to update or retrofit their X-ray rooms. KLAS spoke with 232 providers to help make sense of the many and varied offerings from vendors in the market, including retrofit systems, full digital suites, wireless systems, and fixed detector systems.

"The advance in X-ray technology is a welcome improvement to radiology," said Emily Crane, author of the report. "This investigative study's importance increases as providers search to understand which vendors they can trust for reliability and which can help them improve patient throughput and care in the face of so many imaging options.

Overall, the digital X-ray market has seen an upward trend as vendors add functionality and improve efficiency. SHIMADZU takes the top spot again this year with RADspeed, continuing to deliver an exceptional service relationship and reliable equipment.

Unlike last year, SHIMADZU is not alone. Fuji takes second this year by a very slim margin, showing a substantial improvement in every area measured by KLAS. Providers particularly mentioned Fuji SpeedSuite's increased speed and patient throughput. Other vendor products with performance scores above 90 include the Canon CXDI-70C (which received high marks from providers who liked the new wireless detector), Carestream DRX-1,Fuji D-EVO, and Viztek DR; of these, only the DRX-1 qualified to be ranked in this report by meeting KLAS's minimum sample size requirement. Findings were also included for Siemens AXIOM Multix M, Toshiba RADREX-I, GE Healthcare Discovery XR650, Philips DigitalDiagnost DR, Quantum Q-RAD, Carestream DRX-Evolution, and Siemens Ysio.

"The purchase of fully new wireless X-ray suites, such as the Ysio and the Evolution, is slow when compared to the choice of the more affordable retrofit market," added Crane. "While users appear to be satisfied with the full systems, the cost is a major deterrent."

For more information about the wireless digital X-ray market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of measured vendors, "Digital X-ray 2011: An Untethered Market" is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. With vendors showing steady improvement since last year, it will be interesting to watch as provider satisfaction continues to unfold. To purchase, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com/reports.

KLAS is a research firm specializing in monitoring and reporting on the performance of healthcare vendors. KLAS' mission is to improve delivery by independently measuring vendor performance for the benefit of our healthcare provider partners, consultants, investors, and vendors. Working together with executives from more than 4500 hospitals and more than 2500 clinics, KLAS delivers timely reports, trends, and statistics that provide a solid overview of vendor performance in the industry. KLAS measures performance of software, professional services, medical equipment, and infrastructure vendors. For more information, go to www.KLASresearch.com, email [email protected], or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative. Follow KLAS on Twitter at www.twitter.com/KLASresearch.

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