This week I attended a webinar hosted by IBM on the trends for in-home medical devices based on research done in 2010 with over 1,300 US and UK consumers by IBM’s Institute for Business Value. (Here’s the link to the webinar http://bit.ly/bSgY73 )

What I found most interesting was that the research toppled some well-established assumptions such as: 1) consumers are unhappy with their current in-home wellness devices; and 2) in-home devices are mainly used for known health conditions (vs. preventative care devices).  On both counts the research results came back opposite of the ‘common assumptions’.  It seems that consumers are satisfied with their current devices and are ready for more, especially as people become so attuned to using small hand-held electronic devices.  And it seems that the message about preventative care and the benefits it affords is making its way into the home. That to me equates to market opportunities for ‘prevention devices’ (like tracking exercise and physical activity) and even remote monitoring of “someone’s changing health conditions”.

In a recent white paper I co-authored with Tom Scearce (@TLOTL) on Lead Generation, see blog posting below dated March 16, 2010, we highlighted the trend that many Primary Care (PC) organizations (think small private practices) are selling their practices to Acute Care (AC) organizations (think hospitals and health systems) due to many factors.  The New York Times article below captures the reasons quite nicely.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/health/policy/26docs.html

But it’s got me thinking more about the importance this shift will have on Medical Marketers plans for the not-too-distant future.  If the purchasing decision maker is now part of the corporate office instead of the practice office then your message needs to target the right audience with the kind of information they are seeking.

I’m not saying that the physician is removed from the purchasing equation, but I am saying that the purchasing agent is added to this equation.  Where formerly in the ‘old’ PC model there was usually the physician, maybe the nurse and potentially the office manager as the decision maker(s) for a new product purchase, with the transition to AC owned practices expect added focus on workflow efficiency gains, product volume discounts, etc.

So keep that in mind when you’re reviewing your launch plans for that next medical device product.  Don’t assume the world is the same as it was as recently as 2005 because it isn’t.

Tom Scearce, aka The Lord of the Leads, is a respected colleague & expert on all things involving Lead Generation.  He runs his own consultancy business focused exclusively on this important area of business development.  After working together recently on an engagement in the medical device segment, we decided to collaborate on a white paper to share some fresh ideas with Medical Device Marketers.  Because it’s all about making your life easier, right?

Here’s the link to this new white paper: “How to increase demand for medical devices in today’s changing and challenging market”

I’d certainly appreciate your comments on this topic.  Feel free to share with those you believe may benefit from this information.

My friend works as a sales rep for a division of Johnson & Johnson selling medical devices. He and I talked about the recent US Senate Panel hearings over possible new FDA regulations for medical device companies advertising directly to consumers.

These regulations would most likely be similar to what is currently required in the pharmaceutical industry.

My guess is that it’s only a matter of time before the medical device industry is required to follow FDA regulations when it comes to DTC ads. (more…)

The American Heart Association has recently started to recommend home blood pressure monitors for use by patients with hypertension (high blood pressure), to help keep accurate daily readings. Most patients only have these readings taken during routine office visits or a trip to the local pharmacy, which typically isn’t all that often.

My mother has high blood pressure, for which she takes medication. She only gets her blood pressure taken during visits to her doctor, which happens every few months at best. I had asked her about a year ago if she was interested in getting a home blood pressure monitor as I’d seen loads of them advertised. Her reply shocked me. “No, my doctor said not to bother, she said those home units aren’t that reliable.”

So when I saw the latest news release from the American Heart Association I called her up immediately.

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