1. Be at the forefront of offering new procedures. While some orthopedic surgeons adopt new technology early and others are at the end of the pack, many patients are looking for surgeons who are able to give them the most cutting-edge, clinically safe treatment in the field. “I’ve been on the earlier side of adopting technology and I think patients often prefer to be treated by a physician who keeps up with the advances,” says Dr. Meisles. “Adopting new technology into the practice can offer state-of-the-art care.” This is especially important for patients who are sophisticated consumers searching for the best surgeon in their area. There is a lot of information available to patients on the Internet and patients are often educated about a procedure before their initial visit.
“In my practice, I’ve been doing a lot of work with patient-specific implants and custom prosthesis,” says Dr. Meisles. “Patients are doing research on joint replacements and are interested in physicians who are doing this because the theoretically beneficial outcomes of matching the implant to the patient’s anatomy for a quicker recovery.” The patient-specific implants are created using 3D images of the patient’s knee and are designed to fit the patient’s anatomy, which makes the replacement feel more like a natural knee. The implants also preserve more of the patient’s natural bone.
2. Only adopt new technology when it is clinically beneficial. Orthopedics is a constantly changing field. New and exciting technologies can be very tempting, but make sure they are clinically beneficial before adopting them into your practice. “Everyone has a different comfort level in adopting new technology that has a degree for success,” says Dr. Meisles. “In order for technology to be adopted, it has to offer some clinical advantage and appear to be at least as safe as what we are currently offering.” Some new technologies can come at a high expense, which makes it even more worthwhile to know the benefits before purchasing the equipment.
3. Hospitals may purchase new technology if it increases market share. Hospitals bare much of the cost for new orthopedic and spine surgery systems. If the technology is too expensive and it cuts into its profit margin, they might be wary of purchasing the equipment. However, if you can show benefit to patient care, hospitals will be more willing to purchase the equipment and market the new technology. “The technology may bring additional patients into the hospital who wouldn’t have come into the system had they not adopted the new technology or procedure,” says Dr. Meisles. Additionally, as long as the technology shows improvement in outcomes, the cost of healthcare will come down because the patient will need less recovery support, shorter hospital stays and be at less of a risk for revision surgery.
Learn more about Dr. Jeffrey Meisles.
Read other coverage on orthopedic technology:
– 8 Reasons for Orthopedic and Spine Surgeons to be Optimistic About 2011
– New Imaging Technology Aids in Diagnosis of Hip Cartilage Damage
– Computer-Assisted Knee Surgery: Using the PiGalileo System for Incision Accuracy
