Image-guided therapy is revolutionizing healthcare through improved patient experiences, better clinical outcomes and greater staff efficiency – all while yielding higher returns on investment. The global IGT market is expected to grow from $5.42 billion in 2022 to $8.9 billion by 2023, driven by widespread adoption of cutting-edge imaging technologies.
Where having IGT equipment such as MRIs, CT, fluoroscopy, and 3D imaging systems was once a selling point that attracted patients, it’s now expected, ingrained and necessary. IGT is central to everything many hospital departments do.
Though IGT is an expected and necessary part of modern treatment, hospital administrators still face challenges in justifying, funding and efficiently utilizing IGT equipment. This series offers an overview of IGT in modern hospitals and reveals how hospital administrators can overcome common IGT challenges.
Image-guided therapy offers four distinct benefits for modern medicine.
IGT enables caregivers to deliver more precise, less invasive care. For example, a surgeon can obtain a 3D image of a tumor and remove it with minimal damage to healthy tissue.
Greater precision means:
Moreover, in some cases, caregivers can perform multiple procedures during the same surgery, reducing total interventional time and getting patients back to their normal routines faster than if they needed to schedule two (or more) separate operations.
Accurate, less invasive procedures create a better patient experience via:
IGT also lends patient confidence, since they know their caregivers can “see” internal structures and help them make sound medical decisions. Moreover, image-guided therapy creates pathways to new, cutting-edge therapies that previously weren’t available.
IGT also improves patient safety and comfort. Special patient interface products such as table pads, straps and arm boards prevent slips, falls and pressure injuries while keeping patients stationary during extended procedures.
Image-guided therapy also bolsters operational efficiency and staff productivity. With IGT:
Though patient care is paramount, it’s no secret that hospitals must be mindful of budgets – and return on investment (ROI) is a critical measure of success. With IGT:
These attributes help hospitals increase return on investment, so that image-guided therapy isn’t just expected and necessary, but a significant revenue driver for the medical industry.
Image-guided therapy continues to evolve, and many hospital administrators strive to keep up with emerging technologies. On the very-near horizon, many hospitals will boast IGT equipment that employs:
Such advancements are certainly exciting, but they also require investment in technology, training and space – all can prove challenging for hospital administrators.
Discover hospital administrator challenges and solutions for meeting IGT demand in Part 2 of this series.