Increased Demand for Less Invasive Monitoring

Low-end multiparameter patient monitors will show fastest revenue growth over the next five years, as a result of increased focus on monitoring the “unmonitored” and an increased demand for less invasive monitoring. These are the latest findings of medical research group InMedica (Wellingborough, United Kingdom).

As the population eligible for public healthcare grows, increasing the strain on healthcare providers, demand for noninvasive monitoring has increased, following changes to healthcare provision in many countries. For example, in 2008, The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS; Baltimore, MD, USA) stopped reimbursement for treatment of hospital-acquired complications, including vascular catheter-associated infection, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism (PE) following certain orthopedic procedures.

With a growing elderly population requiring these procedures, and an increasing risk to healthcare providers that certain procedure complications will not be reimbursed, the US patient monitor device market is expected to show an increased demand for products that ensure susceptible patients are monitored throughout their stay, with adaptation to the patient’s condition. By providing continuity of care, hospitals can potentially reduce the time a patient is allocated a bed in a high-cost department, allowing them to be transferred to lower acuity wards much quicker than before.

“With restricted healthcare budgets, focus on cost inefficiencies has heightened. In response to a cut in reimbursement for hospital-acquired infections, healthcare providers are searching for solutions that reduce the risk of infection during treatment,” said Kelly Patrick, a senior analyst at InMedica. “Noninvasive patient monitoring devices provide fast and cost-efficient monitoring of patient vital signs. Furthermore, they improve the overall quality of care by reducing the pain caused during assessment. With a reduced risk of infection, plus reduced treatment and recovery times, demand for these devices is increasing.”

While it is still not clear if similar systems are likely to be adopted in other countries, the issue of increasing efficiency is being sought out by healthcare providers worldwide. As a result, Inmedica projects revenues for low-end multiparameter patient monitors will increase by over USD 250 million between 2011 and 2016.

Related Links:
InMedica
The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services