Pd-m Uncovers Barriers to Surgical Technology Advancement

In an effort to better understand the challenges facing innovation in the Med-Tech space, Pd-m team conducted a survey asking, "What are the barriers to fostering innovation in surgical technologies?".

The results from 106 responses gathered at Surgtech 2024 shed light on the key obstacles hampering progress in this critical field.

Word Cloud Analysis Highlights Funding as Top Barrier?

The word cloud analysis revealed funding as the most prevalent barrier, with terms like "finance", "cost" and "NHS budgets" frequently cited. This highlights the capital-intensive nature of surgical innovation, from R&D through clinical trials and commercialization. Many investors are cautious about funding early stage MedTech companies due to the high risks and uncertainties involved. However, for HealthTech, the point at which a technology is 'investor ready' and can attract private capital is likely later than in other less regulated industries, according to a CPI report.?

They recommend to "Review grant funding processes, adopting best practice, and implementing simple administration as well as running a programme of communication around grant funding in the UK."

This type of public/private partnership and smarter government incentives could help de-risk early translational research.

At the Surgtech conference there was also talk of the amount of time it takes to bring a product to market and it not being aligned to when investors want their returns. This also highlights a need for a faster route to market.? ?

Regulatory Hurdles Proving Safety and Efficacy?

Regulatory hurdles also loomed large, with "regulations", "approvals", "data compliance" and "ethical approval" dominating responses. As cutting-edge technologies like AI-powered surgical robotics and smart tools advance, proving their safety and efficacy to regulatory bodies will be imperative yet costly.? ?

Lack of Clinical Evidence and User Insights ?

A lack of clinical evidence and user insights further impedes innovation efforts according to the findings. This underscores the need for robust solutions like real-world data integration from sources like wearables and remote monitoring devices to validate new diagnostic and therapeutic applications.? ?

Insufficient Collaboration ?

Insufficient collaboration among stakeholders was highlighted as another major roadblock. This mirrors the need for cross-functional cooperation to drive more sustainable device lifecycle management and reusability initiatives.

As healthcare organizations face increasing pressures to reduce environmental impact, collaboration between providers, manufacturers, regulators and third-party reprocessors is critical to scale circular economy models.

Promisingly, initiatives are arising to address this hurdle. NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) will designate and fund 14 HealthTech Research Centres (HRCs) in England, for 5-years. A core objective is to work collaboratively with the wider adoption landscape to improve efficiencies in translating research into benefits for patients, the public, the health and care system, and broader economic gain.? ?

Other Key Barriers

Other barriers included intellectual property constraints, lack of understanding around unmet clinical needs, sustainability concerns over device reusability and reprocessing, and time pressures on already over-burdened clinicians and healthcare organizations.

According to the CPI report, there is a need?to support translational scale-up capabilities by continuing to horizon scan; to find these gaps and fill them as they arise with emerging technologies.? ?

Conclusion?

These results reinforce what has been long suspected - that innovation in surgical technologies faces systemic hurdles on multiple fronts. From financial limitations to regulatory complexity, lack of real-world user data to cultural resistance, there are myriad obstacles innovators must overcome.?

The surgical landscape is further complicated by evolving clinical demands, cost pressures, and disruptive technologies necessitating continuous innovation cycles. ?

As purpose-driven innovation consultants, Pd-m is committed to helping clients navigate these challenges throughout the product lifecycle. Our mission is to foster inclusive, sustainable innovation that demonstrates clear user benefits and economic viability. We start by truly understanding the problem space and engaging all stakeholders to overcome adoption barriers.

"At Pd-m, we believe it's vital to put?a finger on the pulse of the current innovation landscape," said Richard Hall MSc, BA(Hons), CMgr MCMI, FRSA , CEO. "We conducted this exercise to help the MedTech?ecosystem understand the prevailing barriers, so we can collectively identify targeted solutions. Only by directly confronting these obstacles can we clear the path for HealthTech advancements."

Innovation is inherently difficult, but these findings show it is imperative that we find ways to drive systematic progress in surgical technologies. From digitization's unrealized potential to the untapped promise of novel materials, therapies and business models, there are numerous opportunities to better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment paradigms.

Through close collaboration with industry partners, policymakers, and providers, we actively engage in supporting translational research and sustainable HealthTech capabilities.

To learn more, reach out!?

ABHI Innovate UK Bionow Medilink North of England Accelerated Surgical Care HealthTech Research Centre

Sources:

Challenges and Opportunities for UK HealthTech Manufacturing Scale-up Report: https://www.uk-cpi.com/healthtech-scale-up-report