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Global PACS 2019
Vendor Performance in Shifting Market
Author
Eder Lagemann
Author
Jonathan Christensen
The non-US PACS market is shifting—as cloud technology and lighter infrastructure replace aging C/S models, several traditional market mainstays are no longer viewed as cutting-edge technology. The need for traditional workstations has not disappeared, but healthcare organizations are looking for vendors that are developing imaging platforms that will meet customer needs today and in the future. Based on perspectives from 325 individuals at 272 organizations in 48 countries and territories outside the US, this report examines global as well as regional PACS performance.
Sectra & Regional Vendors Best at Meeting Customers’ Product Expectations
Sectra has been more successful than other vendors at continuing to meet customer needs while deploying their solution in new regions. Though development has slowed somewhat with this expansion, Sectra has remained nimble enough to address customer requests and expand the platform to encompass additional imaging areas. Of the four highly rated regional vendors, VISUS Health IT and PaxeraHealth have leveraged their solutions’ high usability and strong functionality to gain customers in new countries and regions. MILLENSYS and Pixeon meet their customers’ local needs well, but this has not translated into significant growth outside their regions of origin.
Philips CARESTREAM and Agfa HealthCare Both Addressing Future Imaging Needs
Philips and Agfa HealthCare are two of the most widely considered vendors in PACS and VNA decisions around the world. Consideration of Philips CARESTREAM Vue PACS is driven by its top-tier functionality and the vendor’s strong VNA solution. Customers are still unsure what impact the Philips acquisition will have. Agfa HealthCare has shifted development from IMPAX to a new enterprise imaging platform, combining radiology, cardiology, and VNA/viewer. Early adopters, who struggled with functionality gaps, acknowledge that progress has been made but would like Agfa to move faster.
Lack of Development Driving Significant Customer Frustration for Change Healthcare, FujifilmÂ
Change Healthcare customers have seen no updates since the spin-off from McKesson and no development road map, resulting in a significant decline in customer satisfaction. Once considered a technology leader in the space, Fujifilm has fallen behind, with early adopters of Synapse 5 reporting significant QA concerns. Customers who have not received the platform say they haven’t seen meaningful development in several years. GE Healthcare customers have long reported a lack of development and are increasingly leaving for solutions better aligned with the changing imaging market. Concern about lack of development for Philips IntelliSpace has increased over the past two or three years, during which time Philips acquired Carestream’s HCIS business. Cerner customers feel ignored.
Europe: VISUS Health IT, Sectra Deliver Exceptional Support
and Technology
Nearly all interviewed VISUS Health IT customers report high satisfaction, praising the technology, continued development, and attractive price point. Sectra customers view their solution as leading-edge technology. They report strong connections with account representatives and feel Sectra listens to them and understands their needs. Customers say that as Sectra has grown—expanding from Scandinavia to other European markets—the solution has become more expensive. Philips CARESTREAM Vue PACS has seen rapid growth in Europe thanks to a strong technology backbone. The support has scaled poorly, leading about 20% of respondents (mostly in the UK) to say they are exploring other options. Cerner and Fujifilm customers in Europe have both seen significant drops in satisfaction over the last two years—33% and 12%, respectively. Both customer bases feel ignored in terms of product development and support. GE Healthcare customers also feel forgotten. The solution continues to be replaced and sees little consideration in new purchases.
Middle East/Africa:Â PaxeraHealth, Philips CARESTREAM, and MILLENSYS Top List of High-Performing Vendors
Organizations in the Middle East and Africa report higher average satisfaction than PACS users in any other region in this report. PaxeraHealth’s PACS receives some of the highest ease-of-use ratings and is seen as a good value for its cost. Customers receive strong support and report that the vendor is innovating to meet future needs. Philips’ CARESTREAM customers generally feel they have good technology backed by strong support. MILLENSYS has developed their system through close collaboration with customers, who tend to be smaller and who are pleased with the product, ongoing development, and excellent 24/7 support, which they describe as proactive. Employee turnover has decreased the quality of GE Healthcare’s local support, and customers feel they get little response from the vendor. Their satisfaction has declined significantly over the last two years.
Latin America:Â Pixeon and MV Better at Meeting Local Needs Than Multiregional Options
Used mostly in Brazil, Pixeon is the top-rated PACS in Latin America. Customers rave about the support and their ability to work directly with Pixeon. Also located primarily in Brazil, MV customers report above average satisfaction, largely because the solution is part of a broader portfolio, providing relatively strong integration at a good price point. MV is working to develop the acquired PACS, which currently has relatively weaker functionality and average support. Supported by local resellers, the handful (<10) of PaxeraHealth customers in the region are generally satisfied. Fujifilm customers are frustrated by a lack of development and by having to escalate issues outside of the region. GE Healthcare’s service in Latin America is poor.
Canada:Â Philips CARESTREAM Rises as Intelerad, Change Healthcare See Significant Drops in Performance
The top overall performance of Philips’ CARESTREAM solution in Canada is attributable largely to the product’s technology. While support in the region is lean, customers can connect with an account representative when needed. Sectra delivers exceptional support to their small customer base, which has seen little growth in Canada in the last 10+ years. Intelerad—historically a top performer—has declined over the past two years. Canadian customers have had a mixed experience with the rollout of Intelerad’s customer success manager program, with unsatisfied customers reporting turnover. Customers acknowledge Intelerad has invested in other platforms but feel development to the PACS itself has slowed and unexpected fees have become more common. Similarly, Change Healthcare customers report no meaningful development and an increase in turnover since the company was spun off from McKesson.
Asia/Oceania:Â Intelerad, Philips CARESTREAM Lead a Low-Performing Region
On average, organizations in Asia and Oceania are less satisfied with their PACS than organizations in other regions, and the poor vendor support ratings reinforce that these customers often feel forgotten. Intelerad leads in performance, though the customer experience varies based on organization size—larger customers report more attentiveness from Intelerad, while smaller customers feel they receive less attention. Philips has worked to improve CARESTREAM customer relationships in the region, and some customers now describe the vendor as a partner. Agfa HealthCare’s relationships with IMPAX customers have been poorly maintained, and organizations that choose to leave IMPAX rarely consider moving to Agfa’s new enterprise platform.
Writer
Elizabeth Pew
Designer
Jess Wallace-Simpson
Project Manager
Robert Ellis
This material is copyrighted. Any organization gaining unauthorized access to this report will be liable to compensate KLAS for the full retail price. Please see the KLAS DATA USE POLICY for information regarding use of this report. © 2024 KLAS Research, LLC. All Rights Reserved. NOTE: Performance scores may change significantly when including newly interviewed provider organizations, especially when added to a smaller sample size like in emerging markets with a small number of live clients. The findings presented are not meant to be conclusive data for an entire client base.