The European cardiology information system (CIS) market is expected to reach approximately 76.1 million euros ($104.8 million U.S.) in 2017, according to market research firm Frost & Sullivan.
The market research firm reported that 2010 revenues for this healthcare IT market segment were approximately 39.7 million euros ($54.5 million U.S.).
Frost & Sullivan attributes projected market growth to the development of cardiology information systems with advanced functionality and easier integration capabilities with enterprise-wide information systems. Another factor will be initiatives by European healthcare facilities to create a unified digital patient record.
The ability to increase departmental efficiencies and optimizing workflow represents the most critical feature and functionality that a cardiology information system can offer, according to the report. However, a CIS also can efficiently handle order management, patient and materials management, and clinical information sharing.
However, high infrastructure costs of installing CIS and PACS networks pose a "formidable" purchasing barrier, according to research analyst Simone Carron-Peters. Unlike radiology departments, cardiology departments do not serve the rest of the hospital, and, as a result, other departments do not make use of cardiology PACS as extensively as they would utilize radiology PACS. But some of the costs may be offset by cardiology PACS modules that can piggyback onto a hospital's existing radiology PACS structure.
Another barrier inhibiting CIS purchasing exists in hospitals that are not adequately equipped in terms of having cardiology modalities. Carron-Peters cited hospitals in Italy and Spain as having this situation.
