Speech recognition software is at the top of the wish list, if not in the active purchasing plans, for 272 healthcare providers shopping for or in the process of buying imaging IT products in eight countries of northern Europe.

That’s according to the Utah-based market research firm Peer60, which surveyed the providers and reported online that speech recognition was named first or second in Germany, the U.K., France and Norway. The survey also brought back results from Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Peer60 said its research found that 46 percent of providers plan to make purchases in the next 12 months. It added that the dose monitoring market is expected to grow as the European Union clamps down on radiologists who fail to report that info.

Asked what imaging IT systems they have plans to acquire, respondents came back with numbers that may surprise some for their modesty. Only speech recognition and PACS seem to be attracting buyers at a double-digit pace:

• 54%—No planned purchases
• 15%—Speech recognition
• 11%—PACS
•  9%—Advanced visualization/3D workstations
•  8%—Radiation dose monitoring
•  6%—VNA
•  4%—Equipment
•  3%—Digital pathology
•  2%—RIS

The survey also looked at various vendors’ market penetration in each of the eight countries, along with public awareness (or “mindshare”). It showed Sectra to be the market leader in PACS overall, as well as the mindshare leader in VNA, digital pathology and radiation dose monitoring.

The report is short on textual analysis but populated with interesting, vendor-specific market figures. Peer60 is offering it free in exchange for an email address.