A Frost & Sullivan White Paper Raising the Bar by Lowering the Dose: No-compromise Digital Radiography Improves Image Quality and Keeps the Dose as Low as Reasonably Achievable: A Win-win Value Proposition for Providers and Patients

Raising the Bar by Lowering the Dose After closely tracking the US market’s conversion from analog to computed radiography (CR) to digital radiography (DR), Frost & Sullivan has strengthened its conviction that best-of-breed image processing in DR can improve image quality, lower radiation dose, and improve workflows, all without a premium on the price tag. While some of it is attributable to advances in flat-panel detector (FPD) technology, much of it actually has to do with image processing algorithms. That is where Agfa HealthCare shines with its MUSICA image processing software. MUSICA, short...

Raising the Bar by Lowering the Dose The Agfa DR acquisition workstation (NX Workstation) automatically applies MUSICA, thus making it very efficient and easy to use. In addition to improving image quality, the NX user interface makes dose management easy with a “traffic light” system that indicates whether image quality standards have been met. Technologists also have a “oneclick” process for common studies, allowing them to quickly get an image into the PACS/RIS system. MUSICA allows customized settings for different radiologists, so it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. As a core component...

Raising the Bar by Lowering the Dose The Massachusetts General Hospital’s Experience with Agfa HealthCare: Image Quality as the Deciding Factor Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) located in Boston is one of several leading U.S. institutions to have recognized the strong value proposition of Agfa’s DR portfolio. From 2013 to 2015, MGH installed 10 portable DR (DX-D 100) and 12 fixed DR rooms (DX-D 600) from Agfa. MGH is an extremely busy hospital performing more than 300,000 radiography studies in 2015 with the support of 90 technologists across the enterprise. When their previous GE XRD DR...

Raising the Bar by Lowering the Dose For hospitals considering upcoming DR investments, Reddy recommends they look for systems that provide easeof-use, high image quality delivered by leading image processing software, and portable units with high-performance generators that can create a wireless radiography room in the event that staff requires it. Loma Linda Standardizing on Agfa healthcare as the DR Gold Standard: Image Quality Without Compromising On Efficiency and Dose The image quality that MUSICA provides has been one of the most important contributors the success of a 15 year relationship...

Raising the Bar by Lowering the Dose Image Quality Has Real Clinical and Operational Implications Frost & Sullivan conducted interviews with radiology teams at hospitals using Agfa DR systems, and found that image quality and its ability to impact workflow and manage radiation dose were the leading reasons why they purchased the most recent DR systems they did. These factors significantly outweighed price, brand, and other variables under consideration. Figure 2: Most Important Factors Considered in the Purchase of Most Recent DR System Average Percentage of Importance 0% Factors Radiologist...

Raising the Bar by Lowering the Dose The Three Pillars of Digital Radiography’s Value Proposition DR has become the gold standard for general radiography imaging. Despite all the advances being made across various other imaging modalities, general radiography continues to account for between 40% and 45% of diagnostic imaging examinations performed by US imaging providers today. Using DR efficiently in clinical practice hinges on three key elements: 1. Producing the highest possible image quality, which in the case of DR is a combination of high resolution, sharp detail, and high contrast, that...

Raising the Bar by Lowering the Dose Boulanger agrees on the importance of high quality pediatric images: “Prior to Agfa our pediatric images weren’t nearly as sharp. They were a bit washed out and not detailed enough. Since implementing Agfa, both radiologists and technologists agree on the benefits of redirecting the pediatric volume to the Agfa environment. In one of our [other radiology] rooms we avoid performing pediatric imaging whenever possible. Our radiologists simply will not read images that don’t look like Agfa’s.” Boulanger adds that the hospital’s long-term plan will be to replace...

Raising the Bar by Lowering the Dose When using this consensus approach, the impact of individual subjectivity related to image quality is reduced as the power of the collective years of experience across the radiologist panel is leveraged. For an imaging enterprise, higher DR image quality has a far-reaching impact: • High image quality increases confidence in diagnostic interpretations and, in some cases, a lower rate of patient recalls for image retakes • Reducing such redundancy takes costs out of the system, which is key under value- and outcomes-based reimbursement • Excellent images yield...

Raising the Bar by Lowering the Dose Figure 4: Agfa HealthCare MUSICA Has Significant Impact on Radiology Workflow Workflow Metric Average X-ray Imaging Study Time Time with Non-Agfa DR System Time with Agfa DR System 100% Average Amount of Time Technologists Spent in an X-ray Study Doing Just Image Post-Processing, Windowing, Leveling, Adjusting Contrast, etc. 100% Average Amount of Time Radiologist Spent in an X-ray Study Doing Just Image Post-Processing, Windowing, Leveling, Adjusting Contrast, etc. 100% Percentage of All X-ray Studies that Required a Retake Due to Poor Image Quality Seeking...

Raising the Bar by Lowering the Dose Meeting Today’s Imperatives While Preparing for Tomorrow’s Challenges One of the fastest growing vendors in the highly competitive US DR equipment market, Agfa HealthCare has been adopted as the radiography vendor of choice by many US luminary hospitals since its introduction. Sales of the company’s DR systems grew by more than 400% from 2000 to 2015. This is a significant testimony to Agfa’s winning value proposition because these academic hospitals and premium imaging facilities are notoriously the most demanding customers and have the most advanced requirements....