Swiss Medtech Report 2012 - Medtech Switzerland

OECD average, and per-capita expenditures of
USD 5,270 put the country in third place, behind
the US and Norway.
The use of medical technology is another indication
of the above-average level of care and expenditure
in Switzerland’s healthcare market. The availability
of diagnostic technologies has grown tremendously
over the last years. With over 30 computerized
tomography (CT) and 18 magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) devices per million inhabitants, as
well as the number of hip and knee operations, the
country leads the world.
HIGH-TECH DEvICEs Thanks to rapid advances
in many fields, such as tele medicine, surgeons
can now follow every step of an operation on
a screen, and have push button control of all devices.
With the aid of cameras, endoscopes and more flexible
instruments, complex procedures can be carried
out in a minimally invasive and precise manner.
At the same time, the requirements for product
stability, robustness and maneuverability continue
to increase.
In view of mounting healthcare costs and at the latest
with the introduction of the new hospital finan c -
ing at the beginning of 2012, with case-based rates
(SwissDRG), innovation has become crucial to success
in terms of increased efficiency. As part of cost–
benefit analyses, each innovation is reviewed for
its economic benefit. Will automation produce the
desired result? How often will that clever robot be
used? “Today, the right tool must be standing by in
the operating room, and the price has to be right
as well,” says Fritz Schiesser, head of Logistics and
Purchasing at the Hirslanden Group. The goal is to
assure the availability of products and at the same
time to optimize process flows and procurement
costs.
sUPPLY CHaIN MaNaGEMENT Already
in 1999, the Hirslan den Group comprising 14 private
hospitals began centralizing its ordering and
purchasing services. Logistics and strategic purchasing
were transferred to management, and thus
achieved a higher position in the organization. Another
innovation was to place orders for all 14 centers
through one purchasing office. In addition,
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Hirslanden invested in technical equipment. Central
management of master data was used as the
basis for electronic processes, e-procurement with
various supply-chain solutions was set into motion,
barcode-scanning for internal ordering procedures
and a system for electronic billing were established.
“For further collaboration with suppliers, one of the
essential requirements is to have systems capable of
being integrated into the hospital procurement system,”
stresses Schiesser. Already 40 of the 50 partners
have introduced the international standard
for electronic data interchange. Another important
prerequisite is the labeling of products with bar and
matrix codes, in order to make them readable and
identifiable.
TaILOR-MaDE PRODUCT sETs According
to Schiesser, medtech companies are responding
to the high demands and are reliable partners.
There is a particular need for modular systems
and product sets tailored to a hospital’s needs, for
example with materials specific for an operation.
The greatest challenge today is to keep prices to a
minimum, whilst maintaining the same (at least)
level of quality, something which requires flexibility
as well as support from suppliers. Even given the
case-based rates of the SwissDRG, logistics head
Schiesser hopes to cut costs by 40 percent by the end
of 2012. The key suppliers have already made innovative
proposals to this end. For usability reasons,
as well as liability, Hirslanden will stay on the one
hand with its existing partnerships and on the other
hand with domestic products. Not least of the reasons
for this is “not to compromise the high quality
of Swiss healthcare.”
In the management of instruments and devices,
too, the Group calculates precisely what is more
efficient – repair and maintenance or repeated reconditioning
or replacement of items? In addition,
Hirslanden plans to concentrate its logistics even
further and to consolidate its hospital warehousing.
By having manufacturers deliver to one location, it
could benefit from quantity discounts and achieve
greater efficiency. “One thing is certain. In order to
successfully address the challenges of the future, all
those involved along the value-creation chain must
work more closely together,” stresses Schiesser.