Service support decisions can significantly impact the performance, uptime, and total cost of ownership of PET systems. According to IMV’s newly released 2025 PET Market Summary Report, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) continue to dominate the service landscape in 2024, supporting 75% of systems nationwide. However, a deeper look at facility-level data reveals meaningful variation in service strategies—especially among large hospitals and independent PET sites. Understanding these trends is essential for imaging leaders evaluating service options and contract models for their post-warranty systems.
Apr 10, 2025
Overall PET procedure volumes increased by 12.2% in 2024 compared with 2023, according to the newly published IMV 2025 PET Market Summary Report.
Over the same period between the two years, the average number of PET scans performed per installed fixed PET/CT systems increased by 8.2% — a finding that indicates that much of the increased procedure volumes have been absorbed by existing PET system capacity.
Davin Korstjens of IMV Medical Information Division.
For sites with a fixed PET/CT system, there is an annual average of 336 PET scans read per physician per site. This ranges from a high of 567 scans per physician in over 400 bed hospitals, to a low of 119 in under 200 bed hospitals.
| Average Annual PET Imaging Scans Read per Physician per Site | |
| Site Type | Scans |
| All fixed PET Sites | 336 |
| Under 200 bed hospitals | 119 |
| 200 to 399 bed hospitals | 243 |
| More than 400 bed hospitals | 567 |
| Hospital-owned imaging centers | 260 |
| Independent imaging centers | 285 |
Regarding the physician types that read PET scans, general radiologists read these exams at 69% of sites, nuclear medicine physicians at 51% of sites, and cardiologists or nuclear cardiologists at 11% of sites. The top referring physicians sending patients for PET scans are medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and pulmonologists.
Overall, 40% of responding sites had a wait time of eight or more days for nonemergency outpatient PET scans, which was relatively flat year-over-year. However, this percentage is up 21 percentage points from 2019, when just 19% of responding sites had a wait time of eight or more days.
Taken together, increasing procedure volumes, higher capacity use of installed PET systems, and longer wait times for procedures suggest that sites may need to expand PET imaging capacity to meet increasing demand for these procedures going forward.
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Davin Korstjens is the Director of Market Intelligence at IMV Medical Information Division, part of Science and Medicine Group.
Want to share your knowledge of medical imaging? Click here to sign up for the IMV Survey panel today.
IMV’s 2025 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, and site operations characteristics. The report was published in March 2025 and is based on responses from 509 radiology/departmental administrators and clinicians who participated in IMV’s nationwide survey from February 2024 to January 2025. Vendors covered in this report include Bracco, Canon, Cardinal Health, GEHC, Jubilant/Draximage/Triad Isotopes, PharmaLogic, Philips, Siemens, SOFIE/IBA/Eastern Isotopes, 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.
Disclosure: IMV Medical Information Division is a sister company of AuntMinnie.com.
The blog article featured below was originally published by our sister company, AuntMinnie.com, and highlights a recent JAMA Network Open study on the projected impact of CT imaging on future cancer cases. Notably, the JAMA report relies on imaging utilization data sourced from IMV’s CT Market Outlook research.
IMV is proud to provide trusted market data that supports critical healthcare research and informs thought leadership across the industry. The inclusion of IMV’s data in a peer-reviewed publication by the American Medical Association underscores the trust and credibility our insights bring to key conversations in medical imaging.
JAMA: Projected Lifetime Cancer Risks from CT Imaging
Staying Ahead in Imaging Diagnostics with Data-Driven Competitive Intelligence
In today’s rapidly evolving imaging diagnostics landscape, AI-enabled imaging is projected to grow by 35% in the next five years. As hospitals and imaging centers continue adopting MRI, CT, ultrasound, PET, and AI-driven imaging, imaging diagnostics companies and manufacturers that rely on outdated market assumptions risk falling behind.
To stay ahead, leading imaging diagnostics companies are investing in Custom Competitive Intelligence Research (CI)—a data-driven, evidence-based approach that delivers tailored insights into competitor strategies, hospital purchasing behaviors, regulatory changes, and AI adoption trends.
“Custom Competitive Intelligence (CI) Research is no longer a luxury—it’s a strategic imperative.”
— Dameka Williams, MBA, VP of Market Intelligence Insights
This blog will explore:
✔️ Why Custom Competitive Intelligence is Critical for Imaging Diagnostics Companies
✔️ How Custom CI Research Empowers Smarter Decisions
✔️ Key Competitive Intelligence Use Cases in Imaging
✔️ A Real-World Case Study: Leveraging CI for AI-Driven Imaging Success
Download the Free Competitive Intelligence for Lab Diagnostics Infographic for Key Blog Insights
Why Custom Competitive Intelligence Matters in Imaging Diagnostics
1. AI, Automation, and Competitive Disruption
AI is revolutionizing imaging diagnostics, but not all companies are keeping up with adoption trends. Imaging centers, hospitals, and manufacturers are investing in AI-powered diagnostics to improve workflow efficiency, accuracy, and patient outcomes. However, 35% of firms struggle with AI integration due to unclear ROI, shifting reimbursement models, and lack of competitor benchmarking.
Custom CI research helps imaging diagnostics companies:
- Benchmark AI adoption rates across hospitals and imaging centers
- Assess competitor strategies in AI-enhanced radiology and decision-support tools
- Track how reimbursement models impact AI purchasing decisions.
For imaging equipment manufacturers, this intelligence is crucial for product positioning and sales strategies. For imaging service providers, understanding AI-driven workflow efficiency and competitor service models is key to staying competitive.
2. Shifting Purchasing Decisions in Hospitals and Imaging Centers
Imaging diagnostics companies must align with hospital and imaging center decision-makers, who are no longer only focused on price and product features. Purchasing decisions now emphasize:
- Total cost of ownership (OTC) and long-term ROI
- Reimbursement trends and compliance challenges
- Technology integration (AI, cloud-based imaging, tele-radiology solutions)
- Service and support models for imaging systems
📌Competitive intelligence (CI) research reduces go-to-market risk by 40%, allowing companies to refine product positioning, pricing, and sales strategies based on real-time purchasing insights. Custom CI Infographic
📌 Use Case Example:
- An imaging software company used custom CI research to analyze competitor adoption rates of AI-powered workflow automation tools in hospital radiology departments.
- The findings allowed them to adjust their pricing model and feature set, leading to a 20% increase in hospital contracts within one year.
3. Regulatory and Reimbursement Challenges
Reimbursement changes and regulatory shifts directly impact purchasing decisions and technology adoption in imaging diagnostics. Whether you’re a manufacturer, an imaging center, or a software provider, staying ahead of policy changes is essential.
Custom CI research helps imaging diagnostics companies:
- Analyze reimbursement trends for AI-enhanced imaging, contrast agents, and new imaging modalities
- Track FDA approvals and regulatory shifts affecting imaging technologies.
- Forecast how policy updates impact hospital budgets and purchasing priorities
📌 Hospitals using CI insights see a 25% improvement in imaging equipment ROI, reinforcing the importance of data-driven strategic adjustments. Custom CI Infographic
📌 Use Case Example: A diagnostic imaging center group leveraged custom CI to track Medicare reimbursement changes for advanced PET imaging procedures, helping them optimize service pricing and secure better payer contracts.
How Custom Competitive Intelligence Research Works
A competitive intelligence framework ensures you get the insights needed to make smarter business decisions.
- Define Objectives: benchmark AI adoption, imaging modalities, and install-based imaging center purchasing trends and preferences.
- Conduct Research: Collect targeted insights from hospital administrators, imaging center executives, radiologists, and other applicable decision makers and stakeholders.
- Analyze Insights: Compare vendor strategies, reimbursement policies, and demand forecasts.
- Apply Findings: Optimize sales strategy, refine AI adoption roadmaps, and adjust pricing models.
Custom intelligence helps imaging diagnostics companies increase market share, optimize pricing strategies, and refine go-to-market execution. [Click to Claim Your Free Market Assessment]
📌 Case Study: How a Leading Imaging Diagnostics Company Used Custom CI to Increase AI Sales by 30%
The Challenge
A global imaging diagnostics company needed custom insights on AI adoption rates and competitor positioning for radiology AI solutions.
The Solution
Partnering with IMV to conduct a custom market research study to:
- Track AI-enabled imaging purchasing trends across hospitals and outpatient imaging centers
- Analyze competitive AI pricing and feature differentiation
- Understand reimbursement models for AI-integrated imaging solutions
The Result
The company optimized its AI integration strategy, leading to a 30% increase in AI-driven imaging sales within 12 months. Custom CI Infographic
Competitive intelligence provides data-driven clarity for smarter business decisions.
Take Action: Ready to see how Custom CI Research can transform your strategy?
The future of imaging diagnostics is data-driven. Companies that invest in custom competitive intelligence research gain a strategic advantage, mitigate risks, and capture market share faster. At IMV, we specialize in Custom Competitive Intelligence Research tailored to the needs of imaging diagnostics companies worldwide. With decades of deep imaging experience and recognition, our approach combines primary and secondary research to deliverable measurable results and real-world impact.
Ready to start your custom CI journey? Fill out the form below to request your free market assessment and consultation. We’ll work closely with you to configure a study that strikes the right balance between depth and breadth, quantitative and qualitative insights, urgency and precision.
From 2020 to 2023, the number of general x-ray procedures performed in main hospital radiology departments declined 16%, from 88.7 million in 2020, to 74.5 million in 2023 for an overall annualized rate of decline of 4.3%, according to the newly published “IMV 2024 Diagnostic X-Ray Market Outlook Report.”
By site type, over the same period, x-ray procedure volumes in hospitals with fewer than 200 beds had an annual decrease of 4.6%, while for hospitals with 200 to 399 beds, procedure volume decreased 7% and for hospitals with 400 beds or more procedure volume decreased by 0.1%.
| X-ray procedure volumes in main radiology departments, 2020 to 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hospital size | Volume change | Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) |
| Overall | — | -4.3% |
| <200 bed Hospitals | 17.2% | -4.6% |
| 200-399 bed Hospitals | 25.3% | -7.0% |
| 400+ bed hospitals | 0.5% | -0.1% |
In 2023, the top types of diagnostic x-ray procedures performed in main radiology departments were chest, spine, abdomen/pelvis, and extremities, for a combined total of 79% of procedures. By type of x-ray, between 2020 and 2023 chest procedures sustained an average annual decrease per site of 8.5%; spine a 1% increase; abdomen/pelvis a 7.2% decrease; and extremities a 4.8% decrease.
| Average annual x-ray procedure volumes per site in hospital radiology departments | |
|---|---|
| Type of diagnostic exam | 2020-2023 CAGR |
| Chest | -8.5% |
| Spine | 1% |
| Abdomen/pelvis | -7.2% |
| Extremities | -4.8% |
In this latest survey, the No. 2 future outlook factor for diagnostic x-ray departments was “Our x-ray department is expanding the clinical uses of general x-ray such that our served patient population will grow beyond what we address today” — and 39% of sites agreed or totally agreed with this statement.
Regarding x-ray department site operations, the report found that, in 2024, 90% of hospital radiology departments sites reported waiting times for a scheduled non-emergency x-ray outpatient visit of less than 24 hours. It also found the following:
- 95% of hospitals with fewer than 200 beds have typical wait times for x-ray imaging of less than 24 hours, compared to 81% for hospitals with 200 to 399 beds and 66% for those with 400 beds or more.
- In 2024, 37% of sites stated that typical turnaround time for x-ray reports was less than an hour; 42% of sites, one to four hours; 9% of sites, four to 24 hours; and 12% of sites, 24 or more hours.
- Average turnaround time for x-ray reports in hospitals with 400 beds or more was 2.8 hours compared to 5.6 hours for those hospitals with 200 beds or less.
Finally, the report found that x-ray departments’ top priority was to “improve patient satisfaction with their x-ray imaging experience,” and that 89% of general x-ray sites stated that the radiology department owns or manages mobile/portable x-ray imaging units — including those located outside of radiology.
Even though x-ray procedure volumes performed in the main hospital radiology department have declined in recent years, there is optimism regarding expanding the clinical uses of radiology which may help to serve a larger patient population in the future. In addition, the rate of decline in procedure volumes differs between site types and exam types, which suggests that there may be some stabilization in procedure volumes underway in some locations and for some types of diagnostic x-ray procedures.
Want to share your knowledge of medical imaging? Click here to sign up for the IMV Survey panel today.
Davin Korstjens is a director of market intelligence at IMV Medical Information Division, part of Science and Medicine Group.
IMV’s 2024 Diagnostic X-Ray Market Outlook Report explores market trends in U.S. hospitals including procedure volume, manufacturer-installed base features and share, the use of OEM vs. third-party service providers, purchase plans, brand loyalty, and site operations characteristics. The report was published in May 2024 and is based on responses from 251 radiology/departmental administrators and clinicians who participated in IMV’s nationwide survey from February – April 2024. Vendors covered in this report include Agfa, Canon, Carestream, Del Medical, Fujifilm, GE, Imaging Dynamics, Konica Minolta, Philips, Samsung, Shimadzu, Siemens, Swissray, 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 Director of Market Intelligence.