Regions
MAIN/REGIONS
regions/
Regions
  1. Americas
  2. Asia & Oceania
  3. Europe
  4. Middle East & Africa
  1. Who We Help
  2. Insights
  3. Events
  4. Contact Us
MAIN/search
MAIN/Who We Help
Who We Help/
WHO WE HELP
  • Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
  • Emerging Biopharma
  • MedTech
  • Financial Institutions
  • Government and Public Health
  • Health Plans
  • Hospital and Health Systems
  • Insurers and Risk
  • Medical Specialty and Patient Advocacy
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers

Harness unparalleled healthcare data, advanced analytics, and cutting-edge technologies with our expertise to accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative medicines, enhancing patient lives.

Discover More
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Emerging Biopharma (Global page)

Boost your innovation with IQVIA's expert team. Our comprehensive solutions integrate top-tier insights, technology, and expertise to maximize your asset's success in a competitive landscape.

Discover Innovations
MedTech

Navigating MedTech's unique landscape: U.S. decision-making now rests with GPOs, IDNs, and payers, who demand solid value proof through rigorous outcomes analyses and pricing scrutiny.

Explore MedTech
MedTech
Financial Institutions

Invest in healthcare with confidence. Stay ahead of pharma and medical device trends using real-time, high-quality data. Access market insights, historical sales, prescription trends, and emerging product information for informed, risk-reduced decisions.

Access Insights
Government and Public Health

Unlock deeper health insights with unmatched data and innovative technology to enhance decision-making for your essential government programs.

Unlock Innovations
Government and Public Health
Health Plans

Accelerate digital innovation with our data-driven expertise in data science and healthcare, optimizing business processes for smarter decisions.

Navigate Health Plans
Hospital and Health Systems

Leverage digital innovation to cut costs, boost efficiency, and elevate patient engagement, all while enhancing quality and health outcomes.

Streamline Decisions
Hospital and Health Systems
Insurers and Risk

Enhance your ability to evaluate and forecast population risk swiftly and accurately by integrating unmatched data, expertise, and technology.

Uncover More
Medical Specialty and Patient Advocacy

Transform into a data-driven organization that enhances your specialty and showcases value to your members through digital transformation.

Explore Now
MAIN/Insights
Insights/
U.S. PROGRESS POINT

A curation of IQVIA's best thinking on topics and trends driving change, disruption, and progress in the United States healthcare market.

LEARN MORE
BLOGS, WHITE PAPERS & CASE STUDIES

Explore our library of insights, thought leadership, and the latest topics & trends in healthcare.

DISCOVER INSIGHTS

PODCASTS

"Discover the future through our enlightening podcasts available in the United States.

EXPLORE PODCASTS

FACT SHEET

"IQVIA AI Medical Record Review

LEARN MORE

BLOG

"Decoding DSCSA: Ensuring Compliance in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

READ MORE
MAIN/Events
Events/
ON-DEMAND WEBINARS

Visit our library of on-demand webinars.

WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
UPCOMING EVENTS & WEBINARS

View our upcoming events and webinars.

DISCOVER EVENTS & WEBINARS

EVENT

"26th Controlled Substances and State Regulatory Conference

REGISTER NOW
MAIN/Contact Us
Contact Us/
Blog
Three Trends Affecting MedTech Go-to-Market Strategies
An examination of top changes in MedTech
Catherine Ellis, VP, Practice Lead, US MedTech Consulting, IQVIA
Mar 13, 2023

There are several trends affecting how MedTech companies will go to market in 2023, but three of the most interesting and impactful are the expansion of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs), the increasing power of Value Analysis Committees (VACs), and the growing acceptance of digital communications among MedTech stakeholders.

ASCs are reimbursed, operated, and owned differently than hospitals, which affects how MedTech manufacturers work with them. VACs are reaching their peak as disciplined, experienced, and coordinated gatekeepers of institutional purchasing. In addition, MedTech marketing and sales channels are quickly turning digital. This blog examines each of these three trends in depth.

Expansion of ASCs

Both payers and physicians are driving the significant growth of ASCs.

Payers are encouraging the shift of procedures to ASCs because it costs them, on average, approximately half the amount for a procedure in an ASC versus a hospital outpatient department. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are migrating many procedures from their inpatient-only or hospital-only lists and moving them to ASCs. Private payers are following suit, enacting policies to drive procedures to ASCs. In addition, private payers have been acquiring ASC networks (for example, United Health acquired Surgical Care Affiliates).

Physicians also have financial incentives to shift procedures from inpatient to ASCs. They often have an ownership stake in the ASC they operate in, they have more control regarding staffing, equipment, and scheduling, and the enjoy fewer protocols and regulations than in a hospital outpatient surgery department. Even though there has been more consolidation and corporate acquisitions of ASCs, more than 60% are still physician owned.

Physician owners do not have the backing of a large institution, and therefore have limited access to capital. As a result, ASCs are much more financially sensitive and risk-averse than hospitals, and they run much leaner. Merged ASCs have slightly more access to capital, but it is still limited.

Additionally, ASCs also have limited staff. This makes it a challenge for claims processing, inventory and referral management, and maintaining efficient operating rooms and perioperative procedures. These financial and operating challenges represent opportunities for MedTech manufacturers to assist ASC customers and gain competitive advantage.

Increasing Power of VACs

IQVIA conducted a survey of VAC members that revealed several insights for go-to-market strategies.

The survey confirmed that it is common for any new MedTech product, regardless of price, to go through a VAC review at some level. Only 12% of department level VACs allow products to bypass the VAC review process, and those products on average cost $5,000. On the other hand, most VACs with hospital wide purview limit themselves to reviewing products that cost on average $11,000.

There are also differences in VAC authority between academic and community hospitals. In community hospitals, VACs that oversee departments have final authority on many decisions. However, in academic hospitals, 67% of products reviewed by a department level VAC are required to go through another VAC with broader purview. MedTech manufacturers should take these layers of scrutiny and approval into account in their hospital interactions.

VACs also represent both clinical and non-clinical stakeholders. While clinical stakeholders are most represented in VACS, non-clinical members are also significant, and they place greater emphasis on economic factors. MedTech manufacturers should keep in mind that they are presenting their product to a group with a mixed set of evaluation criteria.

Even after VAC approval, only about one third of products are approved for broad use throughout the hospital. A large percentage must go through a trial period to prove their value and utility. During that trial period, it is critical that the product performs as promised, because otherwise it will not be adopted for broader use.

Therefore, during the trial period, MedTech manufacturers should:

  • Train the relevant clinicians to use the product in the right way
  • Manage inventory to ensure the ideal supply of disposables
  • Immediately repair or service the device if anything goes wrong
  • Generate patients for the device through referrals
  • Provide patient support as appropriate

 

Greater Acceptance of Digital Tools and Engagement

The rise of virtual tools in telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the acceptance of virtual engagement among all healthcare providers.

Physicians who used to avoid digital meeting tools and online seminars are now much more accepting. And partially thanks to regulatory and reimbursement changes, telemedicine has increased. While telemedicine has declined from its high of 30% of office visits during COVID-19, it still represents ~7% of office visits, a greater than 3x increase from prior to COVID-19.

Meetings with sales reps follow a similar trend. Before COVID-19, 64% of meetings between physicians and sales reps took place in person. In-person meetings dropped to 35% in 2020, and only returned to 39% in 2021.

Healthcare providers enjoy virtual engagement. MedTech manufacturers should consider that this shift to virtual affects everyone in the life sciences industry, so virtual training or virtual support could be part of their go-to-market strategy.

Learn More

Blog
Ten MedTech Trends to Watch in 2023
By: Catherine Ellis, Feras Mahdi, Dr Aleksandar Petrovic

Dynamics that the MedTech industry should monitor in the coming year
White Paper
MedTech Strategies to Win in the Ambulatory Surgery Center Market
White Paper
Considerations for Successful MedTech Product Adoption through Value Analysis Committees

What medical device manufacturers need to know about the processes and priorities of hospital stakeholders and decision makers

Related solutions

Next Best Action

Turn insight into action by surfacing behavior-changing intelligence within daily workflows to deliver the right message at the best time for greater HCP satisfaction.

Contact Us