Independent imaging centers are experiencing increased competition for CT patients, according to the newly published IMV 2024 CT Market Outlook Report.
The report found that 51% of CT sites are seeing increased procedure volumes due to some procedures shifting from other modalities to CT, and only 16% of sites were not seeing these procedure shifts. Hospital-based sites are more likely to be experiencing this shift compared to independent imaging centers.
For independent imaging center sites, in addition to seeing less procedure volume from other modalities shifting to CT, they are also noticing increased competition from other CT sites in their area for CT patients, and are experiencing a higher level of uncertainty due to potential organizational changes for their facility that are impacting their future plans.
Looking at the settings for CT procedures in 2024, 43% of these exams were performed in an emergency setting; 36% in an outpatient setting; and 20% in an inpatient setting. Compared with the previous IMV survey, the percentage of CT procedures performed in an emergency setting increased four percentage points, those performed in an outpatient setting decreased six percentage points, and those conducted in an inpatient setting increased one percentage point. (The challenges independent imaging centers are facing are revealed in declines in overall share of outpatient CT procedures.)
| Settings for CT procedures in 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Percentage of CT procedures | Change vs. prior year (percentage points) |
| Emergency | 43% | +4 |
| Outpatient | 36% | -6 |
| Inpatient | 20% | +1 |
Regarding CT department operations, the survey found an average of two CT technologists involved in performing and preparing patients for CT exams — a result made up of 48% of sites that have one technologist involved with performing and preparing patients for CT exams, 43% with two, and 9% with three or more. By site type, 55% to 59% of independent imaging centers and hospitals with 200 or more beds use one CT technologist for CT procedures, while this is only the case for 39% of hospitals with less than 200 beds. Viewing efficiency by this metric, independent imaging center operations are on par with those of larger hospitals.
| Technologist involvement with CT exams by site type | |
|---|---|
| Site type | Percentage of sites with1 technologist |
| All sites | 48% |
| Independent imaging centers | 56% |
| < 200 bed hospitals | 39% |
| 200 to 399 bed hospitals | 55% |
| 400+ bed hospitals | 59% |
The report also found that, on average, hospital CT departments are open for 13.5 hours on weekdays and 17.9 hours over the weekend and that hospital sites are open for an average of 14.7 to 15.6 hours per day on weekdays. These data show that independent imaging centers have significantly reduced operating hours compared to hospital-based sites, report authors noted.
| Open hours for CT imaging by site type | ||
|---|---|---|
| Site type | Average hours per weekday | Average hours per weekend |
| Total | 13.5 | 17.9 |
| Independent imaging centers | 10.9 | 9.4 |
| < 200 bed hospitals | 14.7 | 21.9 |
| 200-399 bed hospitals | 15.5 | 23.9 |
| 400+ bed hospitals | 15.6 | 22.3 |
In summary, independent imaging sites are seeing an overall decrease in CT procedure volumes compared with hospital-based sites — a decrease in the overall percentage of outpatient procedures, higher competition from other sites in the area, and more uncertainty due to potential organizational changes. Furthermore, while the efficiency of independent imaging sites is on par with hospital sites in terms of technologists involved with patient exams, lower procedure volumes and reduced operating hours, especially over the weekend, put them at a disadvantage compared with hospital-based sites in the same area. This is a key segment of the market to watch to see how this landscape changes over time.
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Davin Korstjens is the Director of Market Intelligence at IMV Medical Information Division, part of Science and Medicine Group.
IMV’s 2024 CT Market Outlook Report explores market trends in U.S. hospitals and imaging centers, including procedure volume, manufacturer-installed base features and share, the use of OEM vs. third-party service providers, purchase plans, brand loyalty, and site operations characteristics. The report was published in November 2024 and is based on responses from 312 radiology/departmental administrators and clinicians who participated in IMV’s nationwide survey from June to October 2024. Vendors covered in this report include Bayer, Bracco, Canon, Fujifilm, GEHC, Guerbet, Philips, Siemens, and United Imaging.
For information about purchasing IMV Market Outlook Reports, visit the corporate website at https://imvinfo.com/ or call 703-778-3080 ext. 1033 to speak with a representative.
Disclosure: IMV Medical Information Division is a sister company of AuntMinnie.com.