According to the report of The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), US healthcare spending had increased by 9.7 percent or 4.1 trillion in 2020. While it is important that every patient receive appropriate treatment to live a healthy life, the affordability of the treatment plan is also essential.
For this purpose, companies operating in the healthcare sector, especially MedTech businesses, need to lower their cost of operation. It will help reduce the price of medical devices that are critical to healthcare affordability. But, keeping the overall cost of operation or device production low is easier said than done. Below are a few measures that you can try to accomplish this goal.
Points to reduce Medtech Companies cost of Operations
1. Follow The Federal Guidelines
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has outlined a few guidelines for the MedTech industry. These good practices ensure compliance with the quality standards while reducing additional expenses. On the other hand, non-compliance can lead to legal trouble or unnecessary replacement or maintenance costs of manufactured products. A survey states that identifying, monitoring, and improving potential issues in the product quality and overall production of a product can boost the global reputation of MedTech companies.
2. Try Less Expensive Manufacturing Process
As you might already know, the cost of creating a medical device is quite high. Consequently, the cost of any medical treatment rises. Therefore, businesses are recommended to look for less expensive manufacturing processes without lowering quality. There are numerous ways to do so. For instance, you can try a chemical etching stainless steel process for the machine’s thin, simple, or complex metal parts. This fabrication process is low-cost and helps save time and efforts of product engineers. Even so, the results derived from this process are quite fabulous, especially for complex stainless steel machine parts.
3. Create A Reimbursement Strategy
One of the prime reasons behind the growth of MedTech companies is innovative concepts and ideas. It provides solutions to new or existing problems. So it would be best if you considered encouraging your staff to come up with solutions to lower the operation cost. An easy way of encouragement is offering reimbursement to the employee presenting new and effective ideas. It will motivate others to present their ideas up front, boosting their productivity and reducing the manufacturing cost. Nevertheless, make sure the rules of reimbursement are clear to avoid disputes later on.
4. Look For More Permanent Solution For Chronic Problems
If a problem is recurring, it is likely to increase the cost of operation and production time. However, one thing that the healthcare sector is always short of is “time.” So, it would help if you look for permanent solutions to chronic problems to improve the quality of medical devices on a limited budget. For instance, if the size of the medical device is an issue, you can consider creating a small prototype using parts made with chemical etching.
To Sum It All Up
Keeping the cost of operation low for a MedTech company requires consistent efforts. So, do your homework, learn about the areas increasing your overhead, and take appropriate measures to eliminate such issues.