Strong Options Across the Board for Hybrid Labs

    OREM, UT, May 27, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A new KLAS study on the cardiovascular/interventional x-ray market finds a high level of performance by virtually every vendor in the space.

The new report, "Hybrid Labs Hit the Mark: Current Performance of Cardiovascular/Interventional X-ray", captures the experiences of 106 provider organizations and focuses specifically on hybrid labs, interventional radiology (IR) suites capable of a wide range of imaging, from cardiac catheterization to electrophysiology procedures. Of the five vendors rated in the report, every one of them beat the average KLAS client-satisfaction score for medical equipment, illustrating the high level of performance in this space.

"Traditional powerhouses GE, Philips and Siemens continue to deliver high-quality, versatile equipment and above-average performance, with Philips maintaining its leadership position in terms of overall market share and mind share among providers," said Kirk Ising, director of medical equipment and medical imaging research at KLAS and author of the new report. "However, relative newcomers Toshiba and Shimadzu now offer hospitals additional options that are getting the attention of some providers."

Toshiba leads the CV/IR x-ray market in overall client satisfaction and is winning on value, offering reliable equipment with ample functionality at aggressive prices. Shimadzu is following a similar course, offering lower-cost equipment that is proving to be every bit as reliable as larger competitors' offerings.

The KLAS report also notes the impact physician preference has on equipment purchases, including hybrid labs. Cardiology and interventional radiology cater to their physicians and generally purchase the physicians' preferred equipment. Once a vendor is initially selected, the department tends to stay loyal to that vendor for years afterward.

Among the products rated in the KLAS report, the Toshiba Infinix-i Angio garnered the highest overall performance score, 91.2 out of 100. The Philips Allura Xper FD20 earned the next-highest score (88.0), followed by the Siemens AXIOM Artis zee Angio (87.0).

For more information about the CV/IR x-ray market, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of participating vendors, "Hybrid Labs Hit the Mark: Current Performance of Cardiovascular/Interventional X-ray" is available to healthcare providers online for a significant discount off the standard retail price. To purchase the full report, healthcare providers and vendors can visit www.KLASresearch.com/reports.

KLAS is a research firm specializing in monitoring and reporting the performance of healthcare vendors. KLAS' mission is to improve delivery, by independently measuring vendor performance for the benefit of our healthcare provider partners, consultants, investors and vendors. Working together with executives from more than 4,500 hospitals and over 2,500 clinics, KLAS delivers timely reports, trends and statistics, which provide a solid overview of vendor performance in the industry. KLAS measures the performance of software, professional services and medical equipment vendors. For more information, go to www.KLASresearch.com, email [email protected] or call 1-800-920-4109 to speak with a KLAS representative.

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