Report anticipates end to equipment purchase freezes

Most U.S. hospital radiology administrators expect restrictions against capital acquisitions to ease and plan to buy the diagnostic imaging equipment they most sorely need later this year, according to the latest report by healthcare market research firm IMV.

The Des Plaines, IL, firm surveyed 250 acute care hospitals. It found about 70% of radiology departments had partial or total capital equipment spending freezes in place because of the financial crisis. But it also found that radiology administrators in two of three hospitals plan to buy imaging equipment this year despite the recession. High-priority items include digital mammography, digital radiography, fluoroscopy, and multislice (64+) CT equipment. IMV found that many hospitals are scheduling the move toward PACS and that two of five current PACS users plan upgrades in the next two years.