Radiology departments are loosening their purse strings this year while also more likely to shop around among different vendors for the best deal, according to a new KLAS report on diagnostic imaging buying attitudes.

A survey of 230 radiology departments across the country found providers are planning 10 percent more purchases than last year. But one out of 10 survey respondents also said they're more likely to include more vendors in the search process than they did in 2010, according to report author Kirk Ising.

"Providers are less likely to remain loyal to a single vendor for modality purchases and are more likely to defer to other vendors as new product innovation and pricing pressures influence buying decisions," Ising said in a statement Thursday.

Siemens Healthcare came first to mind for purchases, closely followed by GE Healthcare, the Orem, Utah research firm said. Philips Healthcare and Toshiba America Medical Systems held the "second tier" behind these OEMS, KLAS said.

The rankings partly reflected provider concerns. Respondents were most likely to discuss deals in MR followed by CT, ultrasound, digital X-ray and mammography, KLAS said. And Siemens was judged the market leader in wide-bore MR technology, the "hot ticket" in that market.

GE had the most brand awareness in CT, KLAS said. They also led the DR market, though KLAS said Carestream was catching up thanks to its wireless technology.

Philips had the best awareness in ultrasound, just beating out GE. And Hologic dominated digital mammo, although once again GE was muscling in on its turf, KLAS said.

The report, "Diagnostic Imaging Purchases 2010: Spending Increases, Loyalty is Tested," covers an estimated $200 million worth of planned purchases.

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