Cardiology information systems (CIS) that incorporate image management are poised for revenue growth in Europe, according to market research firm Frost & Sullivan.
The firm predicts that revenue growth will escalate from $54.5 million (43 million euros) in 2010 to $104.8 million (87 million euros) in 2017.
"Clinical Information Systems in Europe -- Cardiology" predicts that increased cardiology workload driven by a steadily increasing aging population and insignificant reimbursements are driving the need for enhanced productivity solutions. These CIS products must be designed with easy integration capabilities with enterprise-wide information systems to enable cardiologists to access their patients' images from any DICOM-enabled location.
Simone Carron-Peters, senior research analyst for the report, noted that the high cost of installing either a cardiology or radiology PACS poses a high purchase barrier. Leveraging an existing radiology PACS infrastructure might help overcome this issue, as might purchasing individual systems of a product designed for modular system integration. However, the healthcare market in countries whose hospitals are not adequately equipped with cardiology modalities, such as Italy and Spain, may be challenging, because investment in cardiology information technology, whether a CIS or a cardiology PACS, may be very difficult to justify.
