May 2023
The development of a medical device that will be sanctioned by both healthcare facilities and physicians is crucial for commercial success. The market for medical devices is anticipated to reach $595 B USD by 2024, driven by an aging population, a rise in the prevalence of chronic diseases, and technological advances. While there is no foolproof way to ensure the success of your medical device, there are a number of key factors that can help you project the adoption trajectory of your innovation.
Analyze the Market: Before investing time and money to develop your medical device concept, you must confirm market trends and operational preferences through market research. This requires confirming target users, documenting their clinical and process needs, and ensuring the best practice use case of your innovation. Additionally, you should evaluate the current and emerging competition to understand the scope of the competitive landscape.
Seek the opinions of experts: Once you have a confirmed market understanding, feedback from industry professionals is required. These include physicians, nurses, hospital administration and support staff, biomedical engineering, purchasing, sales representatives for medical devices, and other medical professionals. They can provide insight regarding the practicability and usability of your device concept as well as identify and outline potential obstacles.
Consider regulatory requirements: Regulatory requirements will have a significant effect on the viability of your medical device concept. Consequently, it is essential to comprehend the regulatory environment, determine the required regulatory pathway and ensure that your device concept complies with all applicable regulations. This is anticipated to require FDA clearance/approval, CE Mark compliance, or adherence to other regulatory frameworks.
Assess the manufacturing feasibility: Your medical device’s manufacturing process will also affect its success. Consider the viability and cost-effectiveness of manufacturing your device concept at scale. This includes evaluating the required resources, identifying potential manufacturing partners, and estimating the total production cost.
Assess possible partnerships: Partnerships can be instrumental in helping you commercialize your medical device concept. Consider forming a partnership with healthcare providers, investors, or other medical device companies to assist in bringing your idea to market. Throughout the development and commercialization processes, these partners can offer expertise, funding, and assistance.
In the current market, a concept alone is insufficient. Physicians play a central role in the healthcare industry, and their willingness to adopt and recommend new medical devices is crucial for commercial success. Here are some strategies that can increase physicians’ acceptance of your medical device concept:
Identify and Address Barriers to Adoption: Identifying any barriers that may be preventing the adoption of a medical device is the first step in increasing its adoption. This may be due to factors such as price, lack of training, or effectiveness concerns. After identifying these obstacles, they can be addressed through targeted marketing, training programs, or device modifications
Understand the needs of the health system: Before introducing a new medical device, it is essential to comprehend the health system’s requirements. This includes gaining an understanding of the current workflow, identifying pain points, and evaluating the health system’s readiness to adopt new technology.
Establish clinical efficacy: Clinical evidence of device efficacy and safety is essential for securing physician adoption. Physicians prioritize patient safety and clinical outcomes, so it is essential to provide robust clinical data confirming device efficacy. Clinical trials, case studies, and real-world evidence can all contribute to the development of a persuasive argument for your medical device. For instance, according to a study conducted by the American Heart Association, the use of a mobile electrocardiogram (ECG) device led to a quicker diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, which can improve patient clinical outcomes.
Educate Clinicians: If physicians do not understand how new medical devices work or how they can benefit their patients, they may be reluctant to adopt them. Providing education and training programs can assist physicians in becoming more familiar with and willing to use your device in their practices. This can be accomplished through webinars, in-person training sessions, or the distribution of informative materials that outline the advantages and proper use of your device.
Work with key opinion leaders: Collaboration with key opinion leaders (KOLs) can be an effective method for increasing physician acceptance of your medical device concept. KOLs are influential physicians who have a substantial effect on medical practice and decisions. Engaging KOLs early on in the development process can help you gain valuable insights into physicians’ needs and preferences. In addition to providing feedback on the design and functionality of your device, they can assist you in establishing credibility with the investment community.
Demonstrate thought leadership: Developing a position of thought leadership can increase physician adoption of your medical device concept. This entails establishing yourself or your organization as a credible authority in your field by publishing research papers, attending industry conferences, or contributing to medical publications. By sharing your knowledge and insights regarding your medical device concept, you can increase physicians’ awareness and interest, which will ultimately result in greater adoption.
Offer solid customer service: Providing superior customer service is essential for gaining physicians’ trust and confidence. Physicians must have faith that they can rely on your company for technical support and assistance when issues arise with their medical devices. Ensuring that you have a robust customer support system in place can increase adoption by assuring physicians that they will receive the assistance they require to use your device effectively in their practice.
Make it simple to use.: Physicians are busy professionals who desire medical devices that are simple to use and integrate seamlessly with their practice. Considering the user when designing a medical device can increase its adoption by making it more user-friendly and efficient. This may include a straightforward user interface, easy-to-read displays, and straightforward controls.
Start with a pilot program: A pilot program is an efficient method for introducing a new medical device to a health system. This permits healthcare professionals to test the device in a controlled environment and provides the opportunity to make adjustments prior to full implementation.
In conclusion, increasing provider adoption of a medical device concept necessitates a multifaceted strategy that incorporates clinical evidence, education, training, collaboration with key opinion leaders, thought leadership, strong customer support, and user-friendly design. By implementing these strategies and emphasizing the benefits and efficacy of your medical products, you can drive the adoption.
Strategy Inc. can assist in achieving the objective of increasing medical device adoption. Our expertise in market research and analysis, as well as their experience in creating effective marketing strategies, can provide invaluable insights and direction for positioning the device on the market. Contact us today to learn how we can help.