The average cost of angiography systems rose 13% to $1.3 million in April, in part because of increasing interest in models that are designed for hybrid operating rooms, according to the latest Modern Healthcare/ECRI Institute Technology Price Index.
The index looks at monthly and annual price data for about 30 supply and capital items purchased by hospitals and other healthcare providers, based on three-month rolling averages.
The average cost of angiography systems showed a small decline, 0.2%, since April 2012.
A basic angiography system is usually priced less than $1 million. However, more ECRI hospital members have reported purchasing the newer models, which can sometimes cost more than $2 million, based on configurations, said Kevin Lee, senior analyst in ECRI's healthcare technology advisory service.
Robert Bense, clinical manager in the same ECRI division, said that hospitals are becoming more interested in building hybrid ORs, which offer the option to image a patient without having to move his or her body and are used for complex open and minimally invasive surgical procedures.
An angiography system designed for a hybrid OR “is one of the key types of components in this type of room,” and usually makes up about half of the cost of the hybrid OR, which can range from $3 million to $4 million, Bense said.
Lee and Bense estimated that hundreds of hospitals in the U.S. have implemented hybrid ORs and said they expect to see more healthcare providers adopt this type of operating room as the number of less invasive procedures increases.
A report that ECRI released in April suggested that 75% of cardiovascular surgeons are expected to work in hybrid ORs by 2018.
Follow Jaimy Lee on Twitter: @MHjlee
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