Versatile and portable scanners will have the most significant impact on ultrasound imaging over the next five years, according to a recent poll of healthcare professionals by Siemens Healthcare.
The company conducted the poll at the U.K. Radiological Congress, held in June in Liverpool. Almost half the survey respondents (44%) said versatile imaging systems would take the lead as sonographers look for tools suitable for a wide range of clinical environments. Second place in priority was ergonomics (33%), followed by portability (21%), Siemens found.
A major challenge facing healthcare professionals in 2013 was poor image quality, aggravated by an increasing patient size, according to 59% of the respondents. In addition, 21% stated that current ultrasound systems are too large to handle, making access to the patient and infection control increasingly difficult, according to Siemens' report.
