Growth predicted in medical automation

The US market for medical automation technology is forecast to grow from €8.8 billion ($13.1 billion) this year to €15.7 billion ($23.2 billion) in 2014, according to a new report.

A burgeoning market, with a compound growth rate of 12%, is predicted for medical automation technologies and products as the US healthcare system looks to harness automation technologies to reduce costs and speed up processes.

Medical automation technologies are defined as technologies for the electromechanical control or operation of diagnostic or therapeutic processes, which result in a reduced need for human intervention or no such need at all. The report also covers systems for training medical and health staff,

Examples of automated medical technologies given include health monitoring kiosks, automated X-rays, e-learning systems and surgical robots

The new report by BCC breaks the market down into segments for therapy, diagnostic and monitoring and logistics and training. According to a Health It News the report says the therapy segment currently has the largest share of the market, worth an estimated €6.4 billion ($9.5 billion) in 2009, with the potential to grow to €11.3 billion ($16.7 billion) by 2014.

The diagnostic and monitoring segment has the second-largest share of the market, worth an estimated $3.3 billion in 2009. This segment is expected to generate nearly €4 billion ($5.9 billion) in 2014.

Among the automation technologies examined in the report are: health assessment and monitoring; medical imaging and image analysis; prescription fulfilment devices; non-surgical therapeutic devices; robotic and computer-assisted surgical equipment; laboratory testing and analysis; and healthcare logistics, resource and patient tracking;

The customers for such automated medical technologies include hospitals, stand-alone outpatient surgical centres, pharmacies, research institutes and clinical laboratories and medical schools and other training programs.

Hospitals are one of the most important markets for medical automation technologies, according to BCC Research. The report says automation technology will increase as the number of US hospitals, continues to decline.