The rising incidence of cardiovascular diseases is increasing the focus of healthcare providers, payers and patients on early diagnosis and prevention. At the same time, the cardiac patient monitoring market in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is saturating, and the products themselves are becoming commoditised.
“Nevertheless, the dynamic development of private healthcare facilities in CEE countries is expected to drive the expansion of installed base of cardiac patient monitoring devices,” notes Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Dominika Grzywinska. “This, in turn, should postpone progressing market saturation.”
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Central and Eastern European Cardiac Patient Monitoring Market Outlook, finds that the market earned revenues $63.3 million in 2011 and estimates this to reach $83.9 million in 2016. The research covers resting electrocardiogram (ECG), stress ECG, cardiac event recorders, ECG Holter monitors and data management systems (DMS) segments across Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania.
Cardiac patient monitoring devices, especially resting ECG units, are becoming a commodity in the CEE healthcare space. Most healthcare facilities are equipped with such devices, which has resulted in impending market saturation.
This trend is further intensified by limited changes in the technology development arena. With no new solutions that add significant clinical value being launched, the installed base has less growth potential. However, the dynamic development of private healthcare facilities, especially in Bulgaria, Poland and Romania, is generating sizeable demand for new cardiac patient monitoring units.
End user price sensitivity remains a concern. While factors like quality or service are also considered, price is often the main criterion in product selection.
“This explains the success of Asian vendors in the CEE market who offer similar quality devices, albeit at more attractive prices,” explains Grzywinska. “Combined with looming market saturation, the situation is expected to lead to price erosion and decreasing vendor profitability.”
In order to maintain profitability, vendors should not only maintain competitive product pricing, but also look for alternative ways of attracting customers. Such strategies could include introducing value-added offerings, rapid and reliable maintenance services or designing comprehensive package solutions, including DMS.
