In 2023 compared with 2022, the total volume of positron emission tomography (PET) scans increased 10.2% year over year, according to the newly published IMV 2024 PET Market Summary Report.

In 2023, the average number of PET scans per fixed PET site (versus mobile PET) increased 6.7% from 1,401 estimated PET scans per system in 2022 to 1,495 in 2023. As of the 2023 PET survey, 62% of sites have at least one physician who reads PET scans in their department, with an average of 5.4 physicians reading PET scans per site.

Looking ahead, 67% of PET sites anticipate their procedure volumes will increase over the next twelve months, 28% expect them to stay the same, and 2% expect them to decrease, according to the report.

For radiopharmaceutical usage in 2023, the report found the following:

  • 74% of PET scans use F-18 FDG-PET (F-18 fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose),
  • 9% use Pylarify (F-18 DCFPyL),
  • 6% use rubidium-82 (Rb-82),
  • 3% use gallium-68 (Ga-68) prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-11,
  • 3% use Ga-68 DOTATATE,
  • 2% use copper-64 (Cu-64),
  • 1% use F-18 sodium fluoride (NaF),
  • 1% use Amyvid (florbetapir), and
  • 1% use Axumin (fluciclovine F-18).

In terms of 2023 spending, the average radiopharmaceutical expenditure per fixed PET site is estimated to be $517,000.

In 2023, 38% of PET systems were operated by the PET department, 28% by nuclear medicine, 24% by radiology/imaging, 5% by radiation oncology, and 2% by molecular imaging.

Place of PET imaging by hospital department
DepartmentPercentage of PET systems operated by department
PET38%
Nuclear medicine28%
Radiology/imaging24%
Radiation oncology5%
Molecular imaging2%

By site type, 45% to 46% of hospitals with 200 beds or more operate their PET systems from a nuclear medicine department, while 49% to 54% of independent and hospital-owned sites operate theirs from a PET department. This could indicate that non-hospital sites may have a more specific focus on PET/CT exams, compared to a more broad integrative focus across nuclear medicine in hospital sites.

Want to share your knowledge of medical imaging? Click here to sign up for the IMV Survey panel today.

Davin Korstjens is a Senior Market Research Program Manager at IMV Medical Information Division, part of Science and Medicine Group.

IMV’s 2024 PET Market Summary 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, radiopharmaceutical usage, and site operations characteristics. The report was published in February 2024 and is based on responses from 503 radiology/departmental administrators and clinicians who participated in IMV’s nationwide survey from March 2023 to January 2024. Vendors covered in this report include Bracco, Canon, Cardinal Health, GEHC, Jubilant, Lantheus, Philips, Siemens, SOFIE 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.  In addition to the report, all purchases will include a complimentary recording of an executive summary presentation of findings conducted by IMV’s Senior Program Manager.

Disclosure: IMV Medical Information Division is a sister company of AuntMinnie.com.

In 2023, nonhospital sites faced more competition compared with hospital-based facilities for oncology-related diagnostic imaging scans, according to IMV’s recently published 2023 Oncology in Diagnostic Imaging Market Outlook Report.

For the future outlook factor “Competition with other imaging providers in our area is reducing the number of oncology-related patients scanned at our facility,” nonhospital sites gave a 3.2 out of 5 rating (with 5 indicating very high importance) compared with a 2.7 out of 5 rating for hospital sites – results that indicate nonhospital sites face more competition for oncology-related imaging patients compared with hospital sites. In addition, for the factor “Our current imaging scanner technology meets our clinical and throughput needs for oncology-related patients,” nonhospital sites gave a 4.1 out of 5 rating, compared with hospital sites, which registered a 3.7 out of 5 rating. This result suggests that nonhospital sites are less inclined to expand their diagnostic imaging capacity to perform more oncology-related imaging scans compared to hospital site counterparts.

Future Outlook FactorHospital Site RatingNon-Hospital Site Rating
“Competition with other imaging providers in our area is reducing the number of oncology-related patients scanned at our facility”2.73.2
“Our current imaging scanner technology meets our clinical and throughput needs for oncology-related patients”3.74.1

In 2023, 41% to 50% of sites indicated that they expected oncology-related imaging procedures for CT, MRI, PET, and mammography to increase in 2024 compared to 2023, with respondents noting the primary reason for the increase in each modality being an increased number of orders from referring physicians. According to the survey, the top three types of physicians referring patients for oncology-related imaging scans are medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and primary care physicians. The top reason for referring an oncology patient to imaging was “Patient referred to imaging by a physician based on symptoms” (indicated by 73% of sites rating this reason at one or two in importance).

With increased oncology-related patient volumes and a variety of modalities to choose from for imaging scans, the mix of exams between modalities as well as the location where the scans are performed are key areas to follow.

Want to share your knowledge of medical imaging? Click here to sign up for the IMV Survey panel today.

Davin Korstjens is a Senior Market Research Program Manager at IMV Medical Information Division, part of Science and Medicine Group.

IMV’s 2023 Oncology in Diagnostic Imaging Market Outlook Report explores market trends related to oncology-related diagnostic imaging exams for CT, MRI, PET, SPECT, C-Arm, Mammography, X-Ray and Ultrasound exams in U.S. hospital and outpatient locations. The report was published in December 2023 and is based on responses from 205 radiology administrators and technicians who participated in IMV’s nationwide survey from July – October 2023. Vendors covered in this report include Bayer, Bracco, Canon, Carestream, Fujifilm, GE, Guerbet, Hologic, Philips, Samsung, Siemens, Shimadzu. 

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. In addition to the report, all purchases will include a complimentary recording of an executive summary presentation of findings conducted by IMV’s Senior Program Manager.

Disclosure: IMV Medical Information Division is a sister company of AuntMinnie.com.

In 2023, the top two overall priorities for MR departments are to increase patient satisfaction with their MR imaging experience and improve MRI department workflow and productivity, according to IMV’s recently published 2023 MR Market Outlook Report.  

While a top priority across all hospital types, improving MRI department workflow and productivity is the number one priority for hospitals with 200 beds or more. One strategy hospitals are using to achieve this goal is to leverage AI and machine learning software. According to the survey, overall, 20% of sites are currently using AI/machine-learning tools to improve staff and department efficiency. Broken out by hospital size, this percentage increases to 23% for hospitals with 200 to 399 beds and 34% for hospitals with 400 beds or more, while sitting at a more modest 14% among hospitals with less than 200 beds. These data indicate that MRI departments in larger hospital sites are in a better position to realize gains in workflow and productivity, compared with those in smaller hospitals. 

Looking at procedure volumes, in 2023, overall there was an estimated 2.9% increase in MR procedures performed compared to 2022. Broken out by site type, hospital-based fixed MR procedures have increased 7.2%, while non-hospital based MR procedures have decreased by 1.2% year over year. 

Site Type MRI Procedure Volume Change Year-over-Year 
Overall 2.9% 
Hospital (fixed) 7.2% 
Non-Hospital -1.2% 

In 2023, 30% of MR sites are planning to purchase an MR scanner from 2023 through 2026. Survey respondents listed the following manufacturers being considered for these purchases: Siemens Healthineers (53%), GE HealthCare (50%), Philips (30%), Canon Medical Systems (14%), Fujifilm Medical Systems (11%), and United Imaging Healthcare (8%). 

Regarding MRI site operations, in 2023 on average hospital sites with fixed systems are open 12.6 hours per weekday per site and 12.5 hours in total over the weekend. Hospitals using mobile MRI systems are open for an average of 6.1 hours per weekday per site and 3.7 hours over the weekend. 

 Average Hours Open per Weekday per Site Average Hours Open per Weekend per Site 
Hospitals with Fixed MR 12.6 12.5 
Hospitals with Mobile MR 6.1 3.7 

With increased procedure volumes in hospital sites, the impetus to improve MRI department workflow and productivity, and the higher adoption rates of AI tools among larger hospital sites, workflow and efficiency results hospitals may be able to achieve will be interesting to monitor. 

Want to share your knowledge of medical imaging? Click here to sign up for the IMV Survey panel today. 

Davin Korstjens is a Senior Market Research Program Manager at IMV Medical Information Division, part of Science and Medicine Group. 

IMV’s 2023 MR Market Outlook Report explores market trends related to service contracts for diagnostic imaging equipment in U.S. hospitals. The report was published in November 2023 and is based on responses from 302 radiology administrators and technicians who participated in IMV’s nationwide survey from July 2023 – August 2023. Vendors covered in this report include Bayer, Bracco, Canon, Fujifilm, GE Healthcare, Guerbet, Lantheus, Philips, Samsung, 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. In addition to the report, all purchases will include a complimentary recording of an executive summary presentation of findings conducted by IMV’s Senior Program Manager. 

Disclosure: IMV Medical Information Division is a sister company of AuntMinnie.com 

CT procedure volumes increased 9.1% from 2022 to 2023, according to IMV’s recently published 2023 CT Market Outlook Report. While both hospital and non-hospital CT procedure volumes increased, hospital volumes increased at 9.8% while, non-hospital volumes increased 6.4% year over year. 

Type Change in CT Procedure Volumes 
Overall 9.1% 
Hospital 9.8% 
Non-Hospital 6.4% 

Looking ahead into 2024, 72% of CT sites surveyed anticipate that their 2024 CT procedures will increase compared to 2023, while 23% expect them to stay the same and just 1% of sites anticipate a decrease. One likely cause of the increase, with 60% of survey respondents rating 4 or 5 out of 5, is “Our CT procedures are increasing because some procedures are shifting from other imaging modalities to CT”.  

Looking into the site operations needed to handle these increased volumes, on average CT sites have 7.1 CT technologists per site with a range of 16.8 in 400+ bed hospitals to a low of 3.2 in independent imaging centers.  

Overall in 2023, an average of 2.2 CT technologists are involved with performing and preparing patients for CT exams on each scanner in their facility. This varies across sites as 34% of sites have one technologist performing these duties, 48% of sites have two, and a lower 17% of sites use three or more technologists to prepare patients for CT exams on each scanner.​ 

CT Technologists Performing and Prepping Patients for CT Exams Percentage of Sites 
34% 
48% 
7% 
4+ 10% 

CT procedure volumes have shown strong growth over the last few years and as volumes continue to increase the more efficient sites with available capacity are in the best position to realize the benefits from the increased volumes.  

Want to share your knowledge of medical imaging? Click here to sign up for the IMV Survey panel today. 

Davin Korstjens is a Senior Market Research Program Manager at IMV Medical Information Division, part of Science and Medicine Group. 

IMV’s 2023 CT Market Outlook Report explores market trends related to service contracts for diagnostic imaging equipment in U.S. hospitals. The report was published in October 2023 and is based on responses from 313 radiology administrators and technicians who participated in IMV’s nationwide survey from July 2023 – August 2023. Vendors covered in this report include Bayer, Bracco, Canon, Fujifilm, GE Healthcare, Guerbet, Philips, Samsung, 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. In addition to the report, all purchases will include a complimentary recording of an executive summary presentation of findings conducted by IMV’s Senior Program Manager. 

Disclosure: IMV Medical Information Division is a sister company of AuntMinnie.com. 

Usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in diagnostic imaging has focused on use cases that enhance clinical benefits and optime workflows in the radiology department according to IMV’s recently published report, The 2023 Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostic Imaging Landscape

As of 2023, there are AI applications for all major medical diagnostic imaging modalities. The clinical applications of AI in radiology focus on supporting radiologists in clinical decision making with a focus on the areas of emergency medicine, stroke, cardiovascular and Alzheimer’s disease. Workflow applications of AI in imaging, focus on image processing, radiologist reading workflow, patient scheduling and communication. Combined, the clinical and workflow benefits brought about by the adoption of AI applications by radiology departments are expected to positively impact radiologist burnout. 

Looking at department ratings across X-ray, CT, MRI, mammography and ultrasound departments spanning from 2021 through 2023, reveals that larger 400+ bed hospitals are consistently more likely to be early adopters of AI technology than other site types. Across all modalities, the 400+ bed hospitals had ratings of 3.3/5, compared to other facility types with ratings of 2.6 to 3/5. 

Facility Type Early Adopter Rating (1-5) 
Over 400 bed hospitals 3.3 
All other facility types 2.6 

Regarding AI use case prioritization, analyzing data gathered across X-ray, nuclear medicine, CT, MRI and ultrasound modalities from 2021 through 2023, indicates the top two AI use cases are “AI/Machine Learning (ML) capabilities to improve image quality output”, with 51% of respondents ranking #1 or #2 and “AI/ML capabilities to improve radiology’s ability to more precisely diagnose patient conditions and enhance personalized medicine” with 48% of respondents ranking #1 or #2 out of 5 available options. 

The clinical and workflow benefits of incorporating AI into radiology are starting to positively impact patient care and radiologist burnout. This is an exciting area to watch for future advances and developments. 

Share your knowledge of diagnostic imaging. Click here to sign up for the IMV Survey panel today. 

Davin Korstjens is a Senior Market Research Program Manager at IMV Medical Information Division, part of Science and Medicine Group. 

The 2023 Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostic Imaging Landscape report explores market trends related to service contracts for diagnostic imaging equipment in U.S. hospitals. The report was published in October 2023 and summarizes AI clinical and business developments in 2023 as well as primary data analysis of responses from 959 radiology and biomedical managers and administrators who participated in IMV’s nationwide surveys form 2021-2023 covering X-ray, nuclear medicine, CT, MR mammography and ultrasound modalities. Over 130 vendors are covered in this report including GEHC, Philips and Siemens.   

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. In addition to the report, all purchases will include a complimentary recording of an executive summary presentation of findings conducted by IMV’s Senior Program Manager. 

Disclosure: IMV Medical Information Division is a sister company of AuntMinnie.com.