Radiation dose management is a software, which is used to collect, control, analyze, and optimize doses delivered to patients during image guided surgery, medical imaging examinations, interventional procedures, and nuclear medicine. Information collected is stored in the form of Dose Archiving and Communication System (DACS).

The vendors are placed into four categories based on their performance in each criterion: “Vanguards,” “Innovators,” “Emerging Players,” and “Dynamic Players.”

Vendors who fall into this category receive high scores for most of the evaluation criteria. They have a strong and established product portfolio and a very strong market presence. They provide mature, innovative, and reputable products.

The players considered as dynamic are established vendors with very strong business strategies. However, they provide limited offerings and are less innovative. They focus on a specific type of technology related to the product.

Innovators are vendors that have demonstrated substantial product innovations as compared to their competitors. They have a strong product portfolio; however, do not have a strong business strategy for their overall business.

They are vendors with niche product offerings and are expected to gain a significant position in the market. They do not have developed business strategies as compared to other established vendors. In addition, they might be new entrants in the market and require some time before gaining traction in the market. On the basis of end user, the radiation dose management market is segmented into hospitals, ambulatory care settings, and other end users. The hospitals segment accounted for the largest share of the radiation dose management market. The rising patient population, growing awareness about the benefits of early disease diagnosis, technological advancements in imaging modalities, and the increasing awareness of the harmful effects of radiation exposure are some of the major factors responsible for the high demand for radiation dose management solutions in hospitals. HOSPITALS The hospitals segment accounted for the largest share of the radiation dose management market. The increasing number of CT-examinations and the rising awareness of radiation exposure are the major factors that are expected to drive the demand for radiation dose management solutions in this end-user segment. In the last few decades, radiology has gained greater importance in both disease diagnosis and clinical applications. Imaging modalities such as CT, fluoroscopy, PET/CT, and SPECT/CT are commonly used in hospitals on a large scale. However, these imaging modalities come with the risk of radiation overexposure, which is one of the leading causes of cancer. With the growing concerns over excessive radiation exposure, a number of hospitals are deploying radiation dose management solutions within their facilities to track, report, and monitor patient exposure to radiation. Radiation dose management solutions are of significant importance, especially in the field of radiology and computed tomography. These solutions are also used in the fields of angiography, mammography, fluoroscopy, and interventional imaging. On the basis of the number of beds, the hospitals segment is subsegmented into small hospitals (below 500 beds) and large hospitals (more than 500 beds). AMBULATORY CARE SETTINGS Ambulatory care settings include standalone healthcare settings such as diagnostic and imaging centers. These establishments use methods such as PET, fluoroscopy, X-ray, and CT to diagnose diseases and injuries. According to OECD data, the number of CT examinations per 1,000 individuals in ambulatory surgical settings in the US increased to 50.4 in 2016 from 49.8 in 2015. Similarly, in France, this figure increased to 123.8 in 2016 from 121.2 in 2015. The increasing number of radiation-based imaging procedures in diagnostic imaging centers across the US and Europe is one of the major factors driving the need for radiation dose management solutions in ambulatory care settings. OTHER END USERS Academic research institutions and public and private research laboratories use various radiological imaging modalities to discover new therapeutic approaches, especially in the field of nuclear medicine and cancer therapy. Thus, in line with the growing use of various imaging modalities in research applications, radiation dose management solutions are gaining relevance in research centers. Although the adoption of radiation dose management solutions in research centers and academic medical centers is currently low, growth in this end-user segment is largely driven by the greater availability of funds and grants that support research activities in this field. A number of research institutions are also adopting radiation dose management solutions every year to gain a better understanding of dose optimization.