I mentioned in an earlier post that I was wondering about the actual attendance for RSNA this year. My colleague, associate editor Elaine Sanchez got the numbers to me recently.

 Yes, there was indeed a dip in attendance; but not a nosedive, as some in the indy predicted.

 Attendance at this year’s RSNA fell 5% compared to last year, according to unaudited totals released from the organization.

 Exhibitor attendance represented the biggest drop. The numbers show that 24,683 vendor registrants were in the halls, a 12% drop from 2007. Furthermore, 726 technical exhibits took up 516,100 square feet, which is 4% less than last year.

 Professional attendance fell 1% to 27,586, while guest attendance increased 7% to 6,526.

A total of 58,795 people attended the 2008 RSNA meeting – last year, it was nearly 62,000.

 The “more the merrier” is the usual mantra. Even so, the folks I’ve talked with – both vendors and attendees – were pleased with what they saw and learned this year. …How about you? Comment and let us know if this RSNA was rewarding to you.

Replacing an x-ray room to implement digital radiography is a costly undertaking. Thanks to Carestream’s new wireless, cassette-size DRX-1, there’s a better, more cost-effective solution. Visitors to Carestream’s RSNA booth were enthusiastic about this work-in-progress system that fits into both wall stand and table-based Buckys. The industry’s first wireless DR detector means a rapid, affordable conversion for those with film or CR systems. The DRX-1 consists of a console and a wireless 14- by 17-inch cassette-size digital radiography detector. RSNA attendees applauded this wireless beauty because it represents real innovation and an understanding of provider’s cost concerns. Kudos to Carestream! 

As RSNA drew to a close, I reflected on how many vendors and attendees talked with me about this year’s traffic. Some felt that attendance was down; others, thought it was probably up there with last year’s numbers – approximately 62,000 – but that the Halls just seemed less crowded due to the addition of a 3rd exhibit Hall. …It will be interesting to find out the actual number of attendees once the RSNA folks do a wrap-up of the meeting on their website. …But yesterday, many of my fellow RSNA visitors had another kind of traffic on their minds – getting to the airport on time! …The show is over, but we’ll continue to update you with all the great things we saw on this blog. Stay tuned. …And if you attended RSNA, let us know if you think attendance was high or not…and why. We want your thoughts...now!

Remember last RSNA? The splashy launches of all those sexy CT machines like the Aquilion One and Brilliance iCT and so on?  Remember the excitement about the 256- slice, lower dose, capture an organ in a single rotation and all that? …. Well, this year, the focus is on the opposite…sort of “less can be more…. eventually.” Take Philips for example. The company is offering their Brilliance iCT SP (scalable platform) this year. It’s a 128-slice machine…but with the ability to upgrade to 256-slices when needed. And, it’s more affordable, of course, than the 256-slice we met last year. …We talked rationale for this debut. A Philips spokesperson said it’s all about the economy – providers are cautious about investing; yet they don’t want to buy something that works for 2009 only. So the upgradeable solution makes sense. Invest less now…and when times get better you have the flexibility to get more – the full 256-slice capability. …Economics rule in the CT arena. 

Shuttle buses transporting attendees to and from McCormick Place are outfitted with these promos from GE:

 

So for all of our readers attending the show, we at Imaging Economics open today's blog with a two-part question, based on GE's message of sharing ideas: What are the trends in the profession that you're noticing during the show, and what are some ways radiologists can prepare for what the future holds? We welcome your thoughts, so please feel free to post your comments!

How many megapixels really matter? That was my question to the folks at NEC. Seems everyone is introducing monitors with 6, 8, and even more, megapixels. At what point does high resolution become just another sexy feature?  ..,.The answer: Mammo requires 5 megapixels; but other than that, it is up to the clinician to decide what he/she really requires for an accurate read. NEC’s new line of high-brightness color and grayscale displays include the 2-megapixel MD212MC, the 3-megapixel MD213MC color displays, and the 3-megapixel MD213MG grayscale display – all 21-inches. In my opinion, that’s megapixels in moderation! That means the price is affordable to many – including Community Hospitals across the country where budgets are tight. 

 

 

This well-dressed USB flash drive contains Barco's press materials: 

I also was treated to some delicious Belgium chocolate (YUM!) from the Belgium-based medical display company, who showcased a new line of clinical review monitors. The brand-new MDRC looks to provide a budget-friendly, quality visualization solution for a wide range of applications throughout hospitals, imaging centers, and private practices. Company reps say the MDRC displays are ideal for visualizing PACS, cardiac, and orthopedic content, along with data from EMR, HIS, or RIS applications. 

Started out my day by talking tomosynthesis with the folks from Hologic and later Siemens. Both vendors are showcasing new technology for this next generation of breast imaging, which some experts say may ultimately replace mammo. But the works-in-progress are pending FDA approval. The good news is that when tomosynthesis does hit the U.S. market, it should be able to catch more breast cancers at a much earlier stage. The key to better detection with this method is the multiple slices and 3D reconstructions – allowing clinicians to detect cancer quickly and sooner. Some say it could lower recall rates by as much as 40%. …. While tomosynthesis offers a huge potential to revolutionize breast care, it’s still a bit off in the future. Even so, it’s another stride forward in women’s imaging solutions. We’ll keep an eye on this subject.

It was hours ago, but thinking back, we got more than scrambled eggs this morning. We got strategy -- the top line message about Siemens’ place in the market and where it plans to go. The company held a media breakfast; two new big wigs did a fine job of outlining the company’s position and vision for the future. Hermann Requardt, CEO, Healthcare Sector talked a good deal about cost savings in health care being connected to the continuum of care – starting with prevention, specific diagnosis, efficient therapy and ultimately high-quality care. He touched on top trends that are affecting health care and medical imaging such as a growing aging population, growing wealth in emerging markets, and cost pressure and reimbursement reduction. One of his messages: Health care IT and imaging must go together in order to help providers be more efficient and meet the challenges of cost pressure. …Clearly, costs continue to be a major concern for providers and manufacturers are responding with solutions. More on that later. 

Literally have minutes before the GE press conference, but I wanted to mention a few things Marianne and I will talk about later. The two of us have been running around all day -- wearing sneakers today came in handy -- and haven't had a moment to spare! The buzz word of the day is "cost savings," as each of the vendors we spoke with today mentioned how their solutions help radiologists monetarily. From offering versatility to managing revenue streams, it's clear these companies are really paying attention to the current financial climate and how that impacts their customers' businesses, and consequently their own. Check in later to read posts about our very early, and informative, Siemens media breakfast, and discussions with Toshiba, McKesson, MedQuist, and more.