The future of portable ultrasound : business strategies for survival

Abstract

The growth of healthcare costs in the USA, coupled with the desire for access to care in the developing world, is driving the need for low cost, high quality imaging services. The miniaturization of signal processing electronics continues to reduce the size and cost of ultrasound devices. This convergence of demand and technology has led to the rise of portable ultrasound products, disrupting the entire industry. Market share for conventional cart-based systems is being eroded by compact mobile devices. This threatens the large, multi-modality imaging companies as more focused competitors, such as SonoSite, rise to dominate the portable market. New companies continue to arrive with innovative portable products, while domestic companies in emerging markets arise with low cost devices targeting local demand. In the face of these changes, what should companies do to adapt their business strategies and compete? In short, the established companies need to disrupt themselves and develop a portfolio of portable products. GE seems to have already acknowledged this reality and embraced the disruptive trend. Products with modular architectures will help companies reduce product cost and increase cycle times, improving their competiveness in an increasingly crowded space. SonoSite will need to find a wealth of resources to maintain its advantage, ideally leveraging the strong brand name that it has established. Looking to the future of this disruptive cycle, companies need to embrace new business models for low cost products. Verathon's line of application specific products may be a glimpse into the future. In addition, in response to this need for, and trend towards, low cost devices, some companies, such as GE, have created a new segment of pocket portable ultrasound devices: a "visual stethoscope" that could be in the hand of every doctor. Will this type of device succeed? The reality is that they will find mixed success. Disintegrated health systems, the predominant type in the USA, present a challenging environment for value capture and will only embrace these products once they become significantly cheaper and demonstrate success as a process improvement tool. Integrated health systems, more common globally, will slowly embrace them as a screening tool. Companies in this product category need to be in it for the long haul and focus on the compelling applications in the EMT/paramedic market segment to achieve short-term success.