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Using wide-bore and high-field open (HFO) magnets, healthcare providers are reducing patient rejection and conducting a wider variety of scans than anticipated according to a new report by KLAS.

The report, MRI 2010: An Open Discussion on Vendor Performance, overviews 1.5T, 3T and HFO/wide bore MRIs from five vendors. Of these, HFO/wide-bore choices are garnering the most attention from providers, led by Hitachi Oasis 1.2 Open and Siemens MAGNETOM Espree 1.5T.

“Wide-bore and HFO magnets are gaining more interest—and sales—in the MRI market than any other type,” said Kirk Ising, KLAS research director and author of the report. “They offer greater patient comfort while accommodating both large and claustrophobic patients, which has enabled many facilities to expand their referral base and achieve a strong ROI.”

The report also notes that provider satisfaction is trending up for most vendors. Nearly 9 out of 10 respondents feel that their MRI provides all needed functionality, and most express a high degree of loyalty to their current vendors. In particular, Philips, who has had difficulties with service and reliability over the last few years, is improving in client satisfaction ratings.

“For several years, Philips customers were reporting that Philips MRIs weren’t reliable, and that, when they broke down, Philips support didn’t always solve the problems. Providers recently have been reporting that Philips is starting to improve both in terms of reliability and service,” Ising said.

Three categories of MRI systems are rated in the MRI 2010: An Open Discussion on Vendor Performance report: 1.5T, 3T and HFO/wide bore. Toshiba Vantage 1.5T rated highest in the 1.5T category with a score of 88.8 out of 100; Siemens ranked first among 3.0T products (84.5); and Hitachi Oasis 1.2T Open took the top slot in the High Field Open/Wide Bore market (90.8). Various other products by Siemens Healthcare , GE Healthcare , Hitachi, Philips, and Toshiba are also highlighted in this report.

Source: KLAS

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