We expect 2017 to be another stepping stone in the Indian radiology market landscape

Agfa HealthCare is a global leader in the fast growing market of integrated IT and imaging systems, offering the best healthcare facilities. Express Healthcare interviews Suresh Ranganathan, General Manager, India & ASEAN, Agfa Healthcare, about the trends in the radiology sector in 2017

Tell us something about your company and your focus in the radiology industry?

Besides being an influential player in the realm of film and print systems, computed radiography and direct radiography, Agfa Healthcare is also a leading provider of E-Health and IT solutions. With operations spanning across most geographies worldwide, Agfa enjoys a unique position of being a preferred supplier at one out of two hospitals worldwide.

The range of our solutions include:

• Digital Radiogrphy – DR/ CR solutions
• Enterprise Imaging – PACS, VNA, Universal Viewer, Image Exchange, ECM
• Integrated care solutions – HER Portal, Clinical Analytics
• Hospital IT – HIS/CIS , EMR/HER, ECM

In India, we have a two-pronged approach

We have positioned our ‘Enterprise Imaging (EI)’ solution for large corporate and chain of hospitals. This allows physicians and care providers at all stages of the care continuum to have unified access to patients’ medical reports and clinically relevant imaging data that enrich the patient’s visual healthcare infographic. In the Indian context, we have offered these solutions also through ‘Managed Services’ offering to some of India’s leading healthcare providers like Fortis group of hospitals.

On the imaging side, we focus on meeting growing demands of ‘Digital India’ with our innovative, matured and distinctive computed radiography and direct radiography solutions. For example, our unique CR solution model  Easy Payment Scheme (EPS) is widely accepted by our customers, in tier II and  tier III and rural towns as a leading solution to realise the objective of digitising X-ray rooms in the most cost-effective manner.

What are new imaging techniques introduced by you in 2016?

For IT products and technologies, year 2016 was a year of transformation for Agfa. Our Enterprise Imaging platform was launched in India and is well accepted by our valued customers.

For imaging products, Agfa launched the next generation ‘Gold Standard’ Image processing MUSICA 3, a truly intelligent image processing, which consistently provides high-quality images needed to support the diagnosis, while saving both time and effort.

To meet specific Image presentation and processing demands from dentists, we introduced highly sensitive ‘Needle Detectors’ along with special software on our MUSICA, Image processing.

Patient X-ray Dose Reduction is a prime focus for Agfa, while designing its DR solutions. Our efforts in providing such solutions was recognised by global research and consulting organisation Frost & Sullivan in their white paper which was published by them -’Raising the Bar by Lowering the Dose.’

We also introduced MUSICA for dynamic imaging to empower our new Fluro DR model DR 800 at RSNA 2016.

List three trends to look out for in 2017 in radiology?

• Increasing digitisation of X-ray rooms through world class cost-effective solutions offered for direct and computed radiography.
• Value-based care transformation through enterprise-wide imaging solutions at corporate and private hospitals
• Enhanced collaboration and care standardisation across group hospitals  using enterprise-wide solution through managed services route.

What role will digital technology play in transforming diagnostic imaging in India?

Digital India drive by the government, supported by networking and technology companies, are extending the reach of network and Internet across India. This will obviously bring patients and care givers closer. Diagnostic imaging deals with large size diagnostic data which needs to be exchanged with encryption to protect patient privacy.

Medico legal needs will also mean that the image and report data needs to be stored and shared on more reliable solutions like diagnostic quality films/ highly secure archiving solutions.
Companies realising and acting with head start will be the preferred partners for the care givers in the future.

How are radiology players leveraging digital technology to provide best radiology solutions to hospitals?

Companies like us have realised that the speed of digitisation in India will continue to enhance in near future and public hospitals also will be following the digital path. Given our 100-year history in radiology, we bring deep insights and understanding. The nuances of  integrating radiology solutions with IT can be best adopted by us and we will play an active role in connecting physicians to patients in rural India through EI extending beyond radiology to empower healthcare IT systems.

Going ahead what will be your companies focus for year 2017?

We expect 2017 to be another stepping stone in the Indian radiology market landscape. We would like to provide our customers the best value for their money through innovative and cost-effective solutions like EPS (Easy Payment Scheme) for an entry level Digital X ray solution and extending the scope for other products.

We will promote extensive collaboration and care standardisation across group hospitals using enterprise wide solution through managed services route.