The combination of higher unit sales and lower prices has resulted in significant revenue growth for the telemedicine market in 1999, with experts forecasting sales of home care, telemedicine, and teleradiology systems at $172 million, according to a recently published report.
The continued demand for PACS has given teleradiology a boost, according to a report released by Feedback Research Media Services. Feedback's ",BioInformatics’ Trends in Telemedicine", report cites increasing competition as one of the reasons for the upswing. Although American TeleCare of Eden Prairie, MN has cornered the market on home-care telemedicine, the demand for low-cost desktop solutions, and the promise of new products on the market in the year 2000, will continue to fuel growth, according to Feedback.
One issue that the telemedicine industry must contend with is whether it can sustain this expansion and meet long-term expectations. Product sales in telemedicine, defined as ",the delivery of healthcare using video-based clinical services,", are healthy, but are dwarfed by more mature markets, such as the $11 billion medical imaging industry, the report states.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writersDecember 8, 1999
