Medical Device | Medtronic Demonstrating the economic value of minimally invasive spinal surgery on the iPad
Economic value, in addition to clinical value, has become increasingly important to a broad set of stakeholders – from physicians to hospital administrators, payers, and governments. But evidence from economic studies can be difficult to comprehend if one lacks an understanding of health economics. Medtronic’s commercial teams needed a way to present complex data in a clear and intuitive format, understandable for non-experts. This case study describes the use of a web-based platform to demonstrate the value of minimally invasive surgery on the iPad.
Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Medtronic, lnc. is the global leader in medical technology – alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people around the world.
Even a global leader must constantly question whether the way new products or treatments are effectively communicated to key stakeholders. The challenge was about a concise and clear presentation of the value of minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS). The key lies in striking the balance between simplicity and accuracy, ensuring that the information shared is credible and easily comprehensible. By distilling complex data into clear and visually engaging insights, the MIS presentation can empower stakeholders to make informed decisions.
INTERNAL AUDIENCE
- Senior sales representatives
- Strategic key account managers
- Country reimbursement managers
- Product managers
EXTERNAL AUDIENCE
- Hospital heads
- Hospital pharmacists
- Surgery heads
INITIAL COUNTRIES
- UK
- ltaly
- France
To present the data from the micro-costing study around MIS, a value communication app was developed using BaseCase. BaseCase consists of a presentation layer to create intuitive and visual presentations, and a spreadsheet layer to integrate economic models and calculations.
Selected cost inputs such as the cost of a hospital day were integrated into the app, allowing for easy modifications during a customer presentation. Background information and references were included to be displayed as needed.
The app was initially launched in the UK, with ltaly following two months later. It met the stated objectives: to visualize the key messages in a single screen. During customer meetings, the app provided a way to capture the customers’ attention and customers understood what was presented. Compared to a classic slide deck with bullet points, the app kept the attention of customers for a longer period of time. The simplicity of the app makes the value proposition easy to understand, and this encouraged active participation and discussion. At internal meetings, the app helped to increase the awareness of the economic value of MIS within Medtronic. The app helped to explain the reasons for conducting economic studies such as micro-costing to executives and colleagues from marketing.