Tips for navigating the digital radiography market
December 03, 2018
By Julie Johnson
One of the primary focuses in the digital radiography market over the past several years has been converting from computed to digital radiography by purchasing digital retrofits. This was a response to the 2017 computed radiography (CR) legislation, which affected reimbursement rates. While the retrofit space is still a very busy market segment, the rush is slowing down, and MD Buyline is beginning to see a shift in purchasing trends. Within the past several quarters customer interest has been returning to replacement of older equipment, and purchase of new digital radiography systems is ramping up.
When considering any digital radiography purchase it’s important to understand your organization’s long-term goals and the relationship you want to develop with the vendor. Many MD Buyline customers are not only in the market to purchase digital radiography equipment but are also considering vendors that can provide a long-term partnership and sole-source their entire fleet of imaging equipment. This includes other modalities such as CT, MR, cath lab, mammography and ultrasound.
Health systems of varying sizes are inquiring about replacing their existing system lineup with a single-source vendor that can standardize their imaging departments, including interfaces and software, while also providing reliable service and applications support on the back end. One issue to consider with a sole-source agreement is that your chosen vendor may not be able to supply all the necessary equipment, and your facility may have to compromise by purchasing certain modalities from a second vendor. However, the potential long-term savings benefit that comes with bundling often outweighs that concern for many radiology departments.
An important factor in selecting a digital radiography system is to ensure the configuration is best suited to the size and scope of your facility. For larger facilities with higher volumes, the ideal may be a more highly configured system with features such as auto-positioning and auto-tracking capable of reducing exam times, thereby allowing for faster throughput. These systems are typically paired with a 14x17 detector with a fixed 17x17 in the wall bucky, or smaller 10x12 or 8x10 for orthopedic and pediatric exams. Overhead mounted configurations have traditionally been the preference, but activity for floor-mounted systems has also been strong, as customers are looking to reduce construction costs and often have limited space.
Sites such as outpatient and freestanding imaging centers can take advantage of the lower pricing tiers of value-based single detector systems that still offer high-quality images along with standard options. For the smaller facilities and clinics, digital or digital-ready analog systems quoted by third-party vendors can also be an economical alternative to purchasing from an OEM. Dealers still play an important role in the market, consistently quoting equipment and service from multiple OEMs. Many MD Buyline customers tend to primarily purchase highly configurable value-based systems through the dealer channels.
A couple of factors to consider when purchasing a flat-panel detector are image quality and dose rate. Cesium Iodide detectors are often the panel of choice because of the better image quality and dose reduction they can offer compared to gadolinium panels. However, a gadolinium version may be practical if you are interested in upgrading to digital but need more budget-friendly pricing. Most X-ray vendors offer vendor-neutral panels or a vendor-specific retrofit for their analog technology. Many customers interested in pooling detectors are often looking for an economical option and tend to choose a vendor that can provide the best solution for their equipment requirements, which may not necessarily be the OEM.
When choosing a portable X-ray system, one consideration is a single or dual panel configuration. Larger 14x17 panels are used mainly used for exams involving the chest, hip and abdomen, while smaller 10x12 or 8x10 panels are utilized for orthopedic and pediatric exams. While versatility in a portable has become a prerequisite, keep in mind that dual panel configurations can also increase the price of the unit considerably. Another option is retaining an existing analog portable and pairing it with a digital detector to stay on budget, while offering better patient outcomes, streamlining workflow, and increasing productivity. Vendor-neutral digital retrofits are a popular choice to upgrade existing portables, which can also be utilized with other vendors' X-ray equipment.
Another consideration when purchasing digital radiography equipment is opting for a refurbished unit from a secondary market, which is a financially sound way to upgrade to a high-quality digital platform while meeting budgetary constraints. MD Buyline has seen a great deal of interest from customers in demo, refurbished, and used equipment. There are many readily available equipment options and vendors specializing in the secondary market space.
Many customers have also been taking advantage of CR to DR promotions this past year that have been offered by most vendors across their digital radiography portfolios. When negotiating a contract, never be shy about asking your vendor if your facility is eligible for any current promotions. This could end up saving you a substantial amount of money on your purchase.
One final consideration with any digital radiography purchase is a service agreement. MD Buyline recommends purchasing a full-service agreement at the point of sale with both tube and detector coverage, including detector accident protection. While these items can be expensive to include in service coverage and they have not been widely prone to failure, there is a potential financial risk by not including them in your contract. If you choose not to include glassware coverage, be sure the vendor provides a detailed replacement cost for the duration of the agreement, so your facility is aware of the charges you will need to cover should these components fail. Also, purchasing a service agreement post-warranty can increase your costs for long-term coverage. If your system fails during a lapse in coverage, the repair costs could be more than the price of your annual service agreement.
About the author: Prior to joining MD Buyline as an analyst in 2008, Julie Johnson worked in account management, accounting, and financial planning. At MD Buyline, she serves as an analyst, providing support to the clinical analysts and helping MD Buyline members make informed purchasing decisions. Johnson supports the teams for neurology, radiology, OR, linear accelerators, stereotactic radiosurgery, mammography systems, biopsy systems, radiographic systems, portable radiographic systems, fluoroscopy, and computed radiography capital equipment codes.
One of the primary focuses in the digital radiography market over the past several years has been converting from computed to digital radiography by purchasing digital retrofits. This was a response to the 2017 computed radiography (CR) legislation, which affected reimbursement rates. While the retrofit space is still a very busy market segment, the rush is slowing down, and MD Buyline is beginning to see a shift in purchasing trends. Within the past several quarters customer interest has been returning to replacement of older equipment, and purchase of new digital radiography systems is ramping up.
When considering any digital radiography purchase it’s important to understand your organization’s long-term goals and the relationship you want to develop with the vendor. Many MD Buyline customers are not only in the market to purchase digital radiography equipment but are also considering vendors that can provide a long-term partnership and sole-source their entire fleet of imaging equipment. This includes other modalities such as CT, MR, cath lab, mammography and ultrasound.
Health systems of varying sizes are inquiring about replacing their existing system lineup with a single-source vendor that can standardize their imaging departments, including interfaces and software, while also providing reliable service and applications support on the back end. One issue to consider with a sole-source agreement is that your chosen vendor may not be able to supply all the necessary equipment, and your facility may have to compromise by purchasing certain modalities from a second vendor. However, the potential long-term savings benefit that comes with bundling often outweighs that concern for many radiology departments.
An important factor in selecting a digital radiography system is to ensure the configuration is best suited to the size and scope of your facility. For larger facilities with higher volumes, the ideal may be a more highly configured system with features such as auto-positioning and auto-tracking capable of reducing exam times, thereby allowing for faster throughput. These systems are typically paired with a 14x17 detector with a fixed 17x17 in the wall bucky, or smaller 10x12 or 8x10 for orthopedic and pediatric exams. Overhead mounted configurations have traditionally been the preference, but activity for floor-mounted systems has also been strong, as customers are looking to reduce construction costs and often have limited space.
Sites such as outpatient and freestanding imaging centers can take advantage of the lower pricing tiers of value-based single detector systems that still offer high-quality images along with standard options. For the smaller facilities and clinics, digital or digital-ready analog systems quoted by third-party vendors can also be an economical alternative to purchasing from an OEM. Dealers still play an important role in the market, consistently quoting equipment and service from multiple OEMs. Many MD Buyline customers tend to primarily purchase highly configurable value-based systems through the dealer channels.
A couple of factors to consider when purchasing a flat-panel detector are image quality and dose rate. Cesium Iodide detectors are often the panel of choice because of the better image quality and dose reduction they can offer compared to gadolinium panels. However, a gadolinium version may be practical if you are interested in upgrading to digital but need more budget-friendly pricing. Most X-ray vendors offer vendor-neutral panels or a vendor-specific retrofit for their analog technology. Many customers interested in pooling detectors are often looking for an economical option and tend to choose a vendor that can provide the best solution for their equipment requirements, which may not necessarily be the OEM.
When choosing a portable X-ray system, one consideration is a single or dual panel configuration. Larger 14x17 panels are used mainly used for exams involving the chest, hip and abdomen, while smaller 10x12 or 8x10 panels are utilized for orthopedic and pediatric exams. While versatility in a portable has become a prerequisite, keep in mind that dual panel configurations can also increase the price of the unit considerably. Another option is retaining an existing analog portable and pairing it with a digital detector to stay on budget, while offering better patient outcomes, streamlining workflow, and increasing productivity. Vendor-neutral digital retrofits are a popular choice to upgrade existing portables, which can also be utilized with other vendors' X-ray equipment.
Another consideration when purchasing digital radiography equipment is opting for a refurbished unit from a secondary market, which is a financially sound way to upgrade to a high-quality digital platform while meeting budgetary constraints. MD Buyline has seen a great deal of interest from customers in demo, refurbished, and used equipment. There are many readily available equipment options and vendors specializing in the secondary market space.
Many customers have also been taking advantage of CR to DR promotions this past year that have been offered by most vendors across their digital radiography portfolios. When negotiating a contract, never be shy about asking your vendor if your facility is eligible for any current promotions. This could end up saving you a substantial amount of money on your purchase.
One final consideration with any digital radiography purchase is a service agreement. MD Buyline recommends purchasing a full-service agreement at the point of sale with both tube and detector coverage, including detector accident protection. While these items can be expensive to include in service coverage and they have not been widely prone to failure, there is a potential financial risk by not including them in your contract. If you choose not to include glassware coverage, be sure the vendor provides a detailed replacement cost for the duration of the agreement, so your facility is aware of the charges you will need to cover should these components fail. Also, purchasing a service agreement post-warranty can increase your costs for long-term coverage. If your system fails during a lapse in coverage, the repair costs could be more than the price of your annual service agreement.
Julie Johnson