The demand for imaging informatics is blossoming in Australia, according to market research firm Frost & Sullivan.
An aging population, increasing incidence of chronic diseases, and growing awareness about health and wellness among consumers has led to a 5.1% compound annual growth rate in imaging exams between 2006 and 2012 in Australia.
A new white paper, sponsored by GE Healthcare, found that on average Australian radiologists lose 25% of their time on workflow processes, such as moving across workstations, logging in and out of applications, collating data and images from different sources and formats, acquiring relevant patient information from various clinical and nonclinical information systems, and addressing IT glitches.
The firm found that seamless workflow integration, improved interoperability, advanced analytics, and service mobility are the most desired imaging system features among Australian radiologists.
Rhenu Bhuller, senior vice president for healthcare of the Asia-Pacific region at Frost & Sullivan, added that the lack of sufficient information and an incomplete picture of the patient are key reasons for diagnostic errors and medical oversight.
