Electronic Health Reporter

Atlanta, GEORGIA – September 23, 2013 – Elekta and Varian are leading out with the most buzz around new technologies from radiation therapy vendors, and providers continue to experience frustration with crucial downtime from Accuray. That’s according  to a new KLAS report entitled Radiation Therapy 2013: Striving for Accuracy and Upgradeability.

This report comes as providers attend the 55^th annual ASTRO meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. The report addresses vendor differentiation around uptime, support and pricing, as well as adoption of SBRT and SRS technologies. The study kicks off the first of a three-part series by KLAS that will look deep into providers’ perceptions around radiation, proton therapy and brachytherapy vendors.

“It is great to see vendors working so hard to innovate and deliver new solutions,” said Monique Rasband, report author and research director at KLAS. “A key takeaway from this report is that just a few years ago, providers felt the market was stagnant. Things have changed significantly since then.”

Varian is experiencing much success with their TrueBeam. Elekta is breaking into the market with their Agility at organizations where they were not previously considered. Providers feel Elekta is now better positioned to compete with the industry powerhouse. While these two vendors regularly come up in discussions around net new sales, Accuray CyberKnife System or TomoTherapy is not mentioned often, unless it is an upgrade. However, those who currently have these units are taking advantage of upgrades and watching to see what is next. Stronger options have led to heavy competition, and providers have more to consider as they look to improve outcomes.

The vendors reviewed in this study include Accuray, Elekta and Varian. For further details, visit KLAS online and view Radiation Therapy 2013: Striving for Accuracy and Upgradeability. The report is available to healthcare providers and vendors. Providers receive a significant discount off the standard retail price or can receive a complimentary summary report in exchange for a survey about one of their current vendors.