Providers Still Searching for a Complete Cardiology IT System

    ORLANDO, FL, March 30, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A complete, truly integrated cardiovascular information system (CVIS) does not exist today. That's the opinion of most healthcare providers, according to a new report by healthcare market research firm KLAS.

In Search of a CVIS - The State of Cardiology IT Today takes a comprehensive look at the very fragmented market for cardiology systems. Among a number of key findings, the report states that healthcare providers are still seeking a total cardiology solution that can efficiently distribute images, offer intuitive physician reporting tools and handle operational tasks throughout the cardiology department.

Some vendors, such as GE and Philips, come close to the vision of a total solution in terms of the functionality of the modules they offer, but integration of those modules is lacking. Other vendors, such as LUMEDX and McKesson, have integrated solutions, but lack proven adoption of some key functional areas to be called a complete CVIS.

"Cardiology IT is a market with no clear winner, and no vendor is safe from replacement," said Ben Brown, director of imaging informatics research for KLAS and author of the new cardiology report. "Unlike the market for clinical systems, where the decision to pursue a single-vendor strategy is common, cardiology vendors should expect to see a number of clients come and go over the next two years as the market continues to experience a significant amount of churn."

The report identifies a number of reasons for the high rate of replacement among cardiology solutions, including physician frustration, rapidly advancing technology and the need to unify an organization's imaging and IT infrastructure, generally as part of an enterprise imaging strategy. A steady stream of acquisitions in the space - such as AMICAS' plans to acquire Emageon and the recent purchase of ProSolv by FUJIFILM - has also been a factor as product lines are consolidated.

Support: A Key to Success
The KLAS report found that the most satisfied CVIS customers were those with dedicated, internal cardiology IT support resources. Maintaining specialized onsite support aids in both training and business continuity, which contribute to physician satisfaction and adoption.

In general, CVIS technologies are years behind the sophistication and proliferation of radiology information system (RIS) and picture archiving and communication system (PACS) software, which are generally supported by specialized personnel like a PACS administrator. Those cardiology departments that have begun to develop equivalent resources - either through training existing staff or shared support with other departments - have tended to be happier about their deployments.

Among the cardiology IT vendors rated in the KLAS report, Digisonics was ranked number one with an overall performance score of 78.8 out of 100. ScImage (76.9) and Emageon (76.8) were ranked second and third, respectively. Other vendors referenced in the report include Agfa, Fujifilm, GE, Goodroe, LUMEDX, McKesson, OptiMed, Philips, Siemens, and Thinking Systems.

To learn more about the CVIS market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, the report In Search of a CVIS - The State of Cardiology IT Today is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.klasresearch.com/InSearchOfaCVIS.

About KLAS
KLAS is a research firm specializing in monitoring and reporting 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 4,500 hospitals and over 2,500 clinics, KLAS delivers timely reports, trends and statistics, which provide a solid overview of vendor performance in the industry. KLAS measures the performance of software, professional services and medical equipment vendors. For more information, go to www.KLASresearch.com, email [email protected] or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative.

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