The European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2023 meeting in March saw an attendance increase of 14% over ECR 2022, but it fell short of the pre-pandemic ECR headcount of just over 23,000. This increase with in-person attendance was similar to what was seen at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting last fall. This also failed to reach pre-pandemic numbers but was a clear sign of a gradual return to normalcy. ECR had 17,262 participants from 122 countries this year. 

“After all the disruptions to lives in recent years, it was wonderful to see the halls and rooms of the Austria Center crowded with busy, enthusiastic, happy attendees, enjoying all the educational and social opportunities provided by ECR 2023," said ECR 2023 Congress President Professor Adrian Brady, Mercy University Hospital, Cork Ireland, in a statement. "Onsite feedback from Congress participants was very positive, and watching attendees, I sensed that the future of radiology is in excellent hands, with young colleagues ready to continue the success and constantly-increasing clinical relevance of and delivery of value by our specialty."

Observations from the ECR show floor

The ECR industry exhibition featured more than 250 medical imaging vendors. Bhvita Jani, research manager at the healthcare market analysis firm Signify Research, attended the meeting and offered several takeaway observations.

"There was notable presence of new exhibitors on the show floor, such as Chinese vendor United Imaging, as well as an absence of conventional exhibitors, such as Shimadzu and Hologic," she said. Speculation loomed that the disappointment in attendance, as well as the revised layout from ECR 2022, could have resulted in some reluctancy from vendors to commit to taking up large booths, especially as economic headwinds continue to challenge the medical imaging market," she Jani said.

Environmental sustainability is a growing trend among radiology vendors

The global healthcare market contributes 4% of total CO2 emissions, with imaging a substantial contributor, Jani explained. 

"With healthcare providers increasingly concerned about the energy crisis and environmentally sustainability, many medical imaging vendors focused their efforts on how best to decarbonize radiology," she said. 

Rising energy prices, which increase operational costs for healthcare providers, resulted in modality vendors wanting to showcase new sustainability features on their imaging equipment. For example, energy saving modes on large new imaging modalities, when the systems are idle between examinations, could save up to 40% of energy consumption per scan compared to the existing fleet of installed systems, she explained. Moreover, new research initiatives were announced, including “metering” CT systems in the U.K., thereby better understanding real-world application and identifying where energy consumption could be improved.

Other themes included continued demonstrations of how healthcare providers can benefit from long-term value of their investments such as smart subscriptions, or lifetime value through long-term managed contracts, in which core system components may not require replacement. New MRI technology at the show touted up to a 70% reduction in helium consumption, Jani said. She added MRI vendors also focused on ensuring the long-term viability of coils and re-use of MRI magnets when providers upgrade to new systems. New manufacturing initiatives were also highlighted, with vendors showcasing green credentials in terms of production of equipment, design, materials and carbon-footprint.

Connected systems enable remote servicing of medical imaging equipment

On the back of a frenetic period during COVID-19, many healthcare providers have had limited time to focus on modernization strategies for radiology services, especially as pent-up demand and staff-shortages have put huge pressure on providers. Medical imaging vendors at the ECR tried to position themselves as long-term, collaborative partners, whether this be through their service offerings, ongoing training services, or strategic consulting support, Jani said.

A key theme tied to this partnership approach was “connected systems”. One foundational facet of this was supporting the ongoing shift to remote servicing of modalities. COVID accelerated the number of servicing cases done remotely, with an estimated 40% of servicing performed remotely today. 

Analytics software was also shown by vendors to provides real-time monitoring of modality and staff performance across multiple sites. Jani said this is intended to help imaging service stakeholders better manage their fleets and ensure increasingly overstretched resources are deployed most effectively. Some systems included predictive tools, helping imaging service-line managers to support operational planning and better react to peaks of demand. Analytics also can help optimization by identifying patterns causing patient “no show” patients.