New Infusion Systems team at Baxter Healthcare BAXTER HEALTHCARE has created a new Infusion Systems team, backed with investment in sales and marketing. The enhanced Infusion Systems team is dedicated to working in closer partnership with healthcare providers to identify and provide bespoke solutions to their IV therapy needs and requirements. Dariusz Szawlowski, Group Product Manager of the Infusion Systems marketing team, said: “Creation of the new Infusion Systems Sales and Marketing team enables Baxter Healthcare to offer a unique, integrated system solution to support complex, life-saving infusion therapies.” Andy Goldney, Business Unit Director for the Medication Delivery division of Baxter Healthcare, said: “We believe that with this new team structure and market approach, as well as Baxter’s history, integrated product mix and emphasis on advancing patient safety, we are ideally placed to change the way we help our customers solve their infusion therapy needs.” Baxter Healthcare Ltd. is the primary domestic operating subsidiary of Baxter International Inc, an established global healthcare leader. For more information, visit www.baxterhealthcare.co.uk.

RMG launches HR services SEARCH AND SELECTION consultancy the Recruitment Management Group has added another string to its bow by introducing HR consultancy to its service offering. Established to complement the company’s specialist recruitment services, the HR consultancy is set to act as a partner to in-house HR functions or in place of a department. As with RMG’s recruitment style, the HR arm of the consultancy will provide tailored solutions for clients including Executive and Senior Management coaching. Jill Evans has joined the Cheshire-based team to head up the HR Service. With a background in HR senior management within major blue chip multinationals, Jill is well equipped for this role. Speaking at a recent Chamber of Commerce event, she said: “With over 25 years’ experience in Human Resource Management, I feel I will be able to ‘cut the mustard’ when advising and working with clients. RMG consistently delivers outstanding talent, now we can help develop that talent too.” RMG’s HR services have already been taken up by major outfits, including a leading global healthcare organisation. However, Jill emphasises that RMG is open to working with SMEs and multinationals alike: “Our HR service can be delivered as a partnership with an existing HR department, as an advisory body for departments or in place of a HR function in smaller companies, regardless of the sector.” For more information on RMG’s services, phone 01928 711800.

SunTech Medical raises the pressure BLOOD PRESSURE DEVICE company SunTech Medical has promoted Tony Francisco to Senior Marketing Manager for International Markets. This promotion and Mr. Francisco’s relocation to the UK are due to the increasing demand for SunTech products in the European, Middle Eastern and Asian markets. SunTech Medical, based in North Carolina, has offices in Oxfordshire. Ed Wright, VP of Marketing, said: “Through Tony’s efforts, we look forward to developing a more global approach to our marketing plans, improving our product specifications to account for regional differences, and enabling an appropriate increase in promotional activities.” Tony Francisco, former product manager for automated blood pressure monitoring for exercise stress testing, sees this as “an opportunity to further the SunTech brand on a global level by keeping a pulse on the international marketplace. In the coming months I am focusing a great deal of my time on establishing a more involved relationship with some of our international customers.” Tony Francisco holds degrees in biomedical and mechanical engineering and materials science. His academic research experience helps to bridge the gap between SunTech’s engineering resources and the clinical needs of the market. SunTech Medical is a world leader in non-invasive blood pressure monitoring technology. For more information, visit www.SunTechMed.com.

 

Have you heard the news?

Welcome back to the Healthcare Sales and Marketing Saloon. This time, we give special attention to the new kids in town: the telehealth and telecare prospectors, drawn by the prospect of a silicon rush. Is Silicon Valley the most fertile and prosperous frontier for the indomitable medtech pioneers? Or will the desert wind soon be flapping the shutters of a healthcare ghost town?

Enough metaphors already. This issue of On Target looks at how new technology is creating new opportunities for the medtech industry to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving NHS. The possibilities of e-health are changing the relationship between patient, healthcare provider and medtech supplier, helping to build a new landscape for a future of longer life and more stable health.

Our lead article, by Peter Kruger of Wireless Healthcare, looks at how clinical and business models of e-health are changing. As the NHS shifts from being a provider to being a commissioner of healthcare services, e-health is developing into a broad and versatile model of remote care. This means that new markets for medical devices are opening up – and so are new kinds of market, forcing the medtech industry to think creatively about what to sell and how to sell it.

A complementary article, ‘The old and the new’, considers how telehealth and telecare are meeting the health needs of an ageing population. The current shift in the focus of NHS healthcare – from the hospital to the community – harnesses the potential of new technology in ways that are exciting for patient and supplier alike. Using examples provided by healthcare network MedilinkWM, we look at how new developments in assistive technology and the treatment of long-term conditions are giving patients more independence and control over their own health.

Elsewhere in this issue, we visit two classsic themes of healthcare sales and marketing. In ‘It worked at head office’, Remtec’s Ian Sandison discusses the challenges of demonstrating a medical device. And in a tough critique of recruitment standards in the industry, Claire Donovan of Helix concludes that, sadly, the car park still has a few horses tethered to the railings. However, as she explains, there is much that candidates can do to help clean up the last chance saloon.

Some things never change. But most things do, and faster than you’d think. On Target will continue to bring you news of the latest developments in healthcare sales and marketing. Hold on tight: the future is already here.

Chris Ross
Editor

 

 

The recruitment rodeo

The mustang may have evolved into a Ford Mondeo, but the cowboy is still out there. Clare Donovan of Helix Recruitment examines the good, the bad and the ugly in healthcare recruitment.

If you have ever suffered from poor agency practice, this article will come as no surprise – but others may be shocked to know that there are recruitment agencies out there who are acting unethically (sometimes illegally) and in breach of well-defined industry Codes of Practice, and it is clear that both candidates and companies have been ‘stung’.

The wild bunch

Have you ever…

• received an unsolicited call from an agency ‘tempting’ you with a job opportunity?
• been invited to an interview before you even knew there was a current vacancy? • told an agency you were not interested in an opportunity, only to find your CV sent anyway?

All the above are in contravention of the law: either the Data Protection Act or the Employment Agencies Act.

The current Data Protection Act lays down guidelines for recruiting (not just through agencies) in order to safeguard information held about candidates – and that includes paper files. You have a right in law to know what information is held about you, and to see that information if you so wish. The Employment Agencies Act provides the legal framework within which an agency should conduct its business.

The REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) is the body that represents the private recruitment industry in the UK. It sets out a Code of Practice by which all members agree to abide. It also provides nationally recognised courses in recruitment practice leading to MREC (membership) qualification.

These courses outline best practice in recruitment, including interviewing, and there is considerable emphasis on the legal framework.

High noon

Fundamentally, recruitment is about people. Good agencies work in partnership with client companies, building strong and effective long-term relationships. In this way they can have positive input to the selection process. As a candidate, your relationship with an agency is also a partnership – but in addition it should be entirely confidential, with nothing seen to jeopardise your existing employment. The relevant laws and guidelines have been put in place to enable this process to work efficiently, effectively and above all fairly for all concerned. How is it, then, that CVs from candidates sometimes land on the desk of their current employer? Probably because of one of three kinds of poor agency practice:

1. Fee chasing – a ‘don’t care’ attitude to candidates.
2. Paper chase – let’s get the CV there first, then discuss the details.
3. Ignorance – lack of industry knowledge.

The established guidelines make it clear that identifiable CVs should be sent to potential employers only with the consent of the candidate. In this way, you are informed about relevant positions, can make judgements regarding suitability and can then agree your interest – and, of course, it also means that your CV will not land on your boss’s desk.

The client, in turn, will receive CVs for candidates whom they know to be both interested and available. Without prior candidate consent, the client may be attracted by a CV only to find that the candidate is either not interested or has recently accepted another job!

Unethical agencies are still out there because, quite simply, there are not enough good candidates to go round! From the candidate’s standpoint, it should be a buyer’s market. So what can be done? The following are some basic pointers for candidates and companies on how to use recruitment agencies and what to expect from them.

WHERE’S THE LAW? For an on-line complaints form, visit www.dti.gov.uk/employment/employmentagencies/ page27003.html. For more information, visit the DTI website www.dti.gov.uk/employment/index.html. For a copy of the Employment Agencies Act, visit www.dti.gov.uk/employment/employment- agencies/index.html.

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Since its inception in 1986, Helix Recruitment has offered a specialist recruitment service to the laboratory and healthcare products marketplace. Avoiding the over-crowded routine ethical pharmaceuticals market, Helix has focused on providing a selective and professional service to both client companies and prospective candidates.
Helix Recruitment has always been committed to the highest standards to maintain an effective, professional and confidential service. Working alongside other professional agencies should be seen as the best way forward for clients, candidates and agencies.
Helix can be contacted on 01323 445464, and a selection of opportunities are available on www.helixgroup.co.uk.

 

 

It worked at head office

Selling medical devices gives you real opportunities to demonstrate the merits of a product – or your own haplessness. Ian Sandison of Remtec offers some essential dos and don’ts of demonstration.

Marketing and R&D have specified the product, it seems to be working well during development, the product is launched – and then you, the sales professional, are in front of the customer with the next best big thing. Management have told you how to sell it, and have promised you a big bonus once you do.

However, somebody forgot to mention the product quirks they do not wish you to show the customer – and now you are about to discover them for yourself, in the middle of a call. Selling medical devices is for the most part very satisfying. You have a lot of autonomy, you are at the forefront of technology, you are helping to improve the care of patients. But if you do not demonstrate the product to its best advantage, you can be at the mercy of costly and embarrassing mishaps.

From many years of selling medical devices, I can recall a number of personal experiences and tales from colleagues where things have not quite gone to plan in front of the customer.

Another fine mess

I remember when we considered taking on the launch of a new portable infusion device that would allow multiple drugs to be given in a particular order by rolling the infusion bag. The concept was groundbreaking and the product really worked – the only snag was that the device was the size of a briefcase and weighed about 20lb. So you would demonstrate the fluid bag, the rolling principle, giving the drugs in a particular order, and the customer was hooked… until you opened your huge holdall and got out the infusion device, trying not to break their desk or your own knee. Then you had to convince them this was portable and patients could wear it around the waist. We did not take on the distribution of this product. Fluid and TPN (total parenteral nutrition) bags can also be very tricky. A former colleague of mine recalls having a bag of TPN burst in their car. No matter how much valeting the car had, they could not get rid of the smell. Nobody ever wished to share their car when going to meetings, and God help whoever eventually bought the car.

Another infusion device I had experience with was tricky to demonstrate since, despite fantastic performance and a great feature set, it took a long time to power up. The trick was to arrive at the call, sit outside, get the product out and switch it on before you went in, following the prompts so that when you got to see the customer, the device was all fired up and ready to go. Customers who asked about the power-up process were told how smooth it was…

I have also witnessed a TPN bag, while on a drip stand, bursting and spilling over a laptop – with the result that the keyboard functions were stuck in the slow lane forever. It was all the representative could do to recover their hard drive and their data. Care must always be taken with fluids.

Cut and run

Another common issue with disposables is the risk of accidental needlestick injuries during the demonstration process. On many occasions I would have my demonstration board with me and the customer would carelessly jump in and start to pick up needles etc without much care, and end up sticking themselves and dripping blood everywhere. I would then talk about how sharp the needles were and how care should be taken when handling them!

I also remember when nurses were taking on the role of IV cannulation. This was many years ago, before companies had clinical training teams. I was a young salesman running a IV cannulation course. I would arrive with my box of tricks, including a new IV cannulation arm: a plastic arm filled with a red food colouring to aid customers in knowing when they had pierced the vein. You did not want to get that stuff over your clothes. I ruined a couple of white shirts, and you always knew which nurses had been on the course from the red stains on their uniforms. I soon learned to raid the hospital loos before every session and to cover the table and my arm-box with paper towels.

It’s also worth remembering that medical equipment can raise security issues in transit outside the clinical context. It is essential to have appropriate documentation with you. A former colleague of mine described to me how one day in Belfast, before the Good Friday Agreement, he was stopped by the Army at a routine roadblock. His product was a Blood Culture System, which consisted of glass bottles with electrodes sticking out – so he took these out of his car boot and rapidly explained their purpose. It was the best bit of negotiation he ever did.

The details that count

Before you start your product detail, take a little time to think about why you are doing what you are doing, and how you can improve the way you do it. It is the little things that make all the difference. Here are some essential guidelines to keep in mind:

1. Prepare yourself – know your product, your customer and your literature; have the right samples and materials. 2. Prepare the product – check that the battery is charged, the samples are in date, the sizes are correct and you have the correct tubing and accessories. 3. Prepare the customer – check that they are expecting you, they have arranged for their colleagues to be present, they have booked a room for your meeting or training session, and they have a need and a budget for your product. 4. Try to choose the room yourself and make sure it is suitable. If possible, give your presentation after tea so as to prepare during the break – believe me, your laptop will not work first time with their projector. 5. Select the first customer you show a new product to with care – always take untried products to a friendly customer. Despite the wise words from head office, things may go badly wrong the first time you go live. 6. If you deal with liquids, then watch out for spills. 7. If you deal with sharps, watch you don’t stick anybody. 8. If you deal with electricals, make sure that medical physics/EBME have tested your product.

Demonstrating a medical device in a way that makes the customer want to buy it is easier the better-prepared you are. Make sure the product is ‘set up’ properly so as to give the best impression. Make sure your demonstration is heavy on the benefits and leaves the challenges to the end. Avoiding embarrassing mishaps is only part of what it takes to ensure that your product is seen as the most user-friendly, reliable and cost-effective option.

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Ian Sandison is a Director of Remtec Search and Selection as well as an independent medical device consultant. He has spent many years in medical device sales and marketing. For further details, visit www.remtec.co.uk and www.pandiassociates.co.uk.

 

 

Innovation Day celebrates medtech achievements CUTTING-EDGE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY companies have been recognised at an awards ceremony organised by healthcare network Medilink Yorkshire and Humber to reward innovation. At the Medilink (Y&H) Innovation Day and Healthcare Business Awards in Leeds, over 170 healthcare delegates saw medical lighting supplier Brandon Medical win the Symmetry Medical ‘Overall Winner’ and Eversheds ‘Innovation’ awards for their televideo system, which allows full integration of any medical video source. The UDL Intellectual Property ‘Start-up’ award was won by Aperio Diagnostics Ltd, founded by Medipex in partnership with the UoS and Sheffield NHS Teaching Hospital Trust. This collaboration has led to the creation of a diagnostic probe for cervical cancer screening. The ‘Growth in Sector’ award, sponsored by Henderson Insurance Broker, went to Focus Product Development Ltd, a designer and manufacturer of wound care, scar treatment and pressure relief products. Last year it acquired another company with complementary products, allowing it to diversify into a new market. Kapitex Healthcare Ltd, a manufacturer of neck, head and ENT devices, won the Bennett and Company ‘Export Achievement’ award for its exporting role over the last three years, including major inroads into the Gulf States and East Africa markets. The Jonathan Lee Recruitment ‘Partnership with the NHS’ award went to Carelink, which provides IT solutions for the NHS IT programme. As the Healthcare Division of IOKO 365, it has also developed a navigation tool on the website of the new NHS Innovation Centre. Graeme Hall of Brandon Medical said: “We’re delighted to have received these two prestigious awards from Medilink, as it gives us national and industry-wide recognition. The Innovation Day was also a great opportunity for us to showcase our products and meet many other healthcare companies from the region.” For more information, contact www.medilink.co.uk.
UK device companies explore Chinese markets THE UK MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES industry was well represented at this year’s largest medical device exhibition in China. The Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI), together with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), organised a UK pavilion at the 2007 China Medical Equipment Fair (CMEF) in Dalian. This is the second year in which ABHI has taken a group of companies to China as part of its programme of helping UK companies to access new business opportunities. The Chinese medical device industry is worth an estimated $9.5 billion and is expected to increase by 15% per annum. This massive predicted growth, coupled with the relaxing of tariffs and approvals following China’s entry into the WTO, means that medtech companies seeking early market access can reap major rewards. Philip Kennedy, Sales and Marketing Director at Eschmann Equipment and CMEF exhibitor in 2006 and 2007, said: “China will spend £50 billion over the next five years on a major programme to transform its healthcare delivery system, which will create a high boost in demand for medical devices.” The members of the UK Pavilion at CMEF 2007 were Bodystat, Eschmann Equipment, Meditech (BNOS), Surgical Innovations and Timesco. The strong UK presence helped to raise international awareness of the UK’s strengths in medical technologies, and to encourage clinical and commercial partnerships. As with all ABHI-organised pavilions, the exhibitors benefited from a range of services including assistance with obtaining UKTI grants, administrative and logistical support, marketing activities, arranging meetings with commercial officers and buyers at the show, and the use of ABHI on-site facilities. For further details about ABHI, visit www.abhi.org.uk. To find out more about CMEF, visit www.cmef.com.cn.
Alan fasts for new Agfa HealthCare role Medical imaging company Agfa HealthCare has appointed Alan Budge as Marketing Communications and Quality Manager for the North Europe Region. Alan has worked in the industry for over 30 years, but this was the first time he was asked to complete a sponsored 24-hour fast in his job interview. This resulted in his raising over £1000 for Comic Relief. “I was invited to participate as part of my job interview, and as I agreed, I was offered the job,” said Alan Budge. “Thanks to the level of support from over 60 supporters and the generosity of Agfa HealthCare who doubled employees’ contributions, I was able to raise £1050 for this excellent cause.” Alan has experience of numerous marketing and sales roles with medical imaging companies including 3M, Imation and Kodak. He is Honorary Treasurer of the British Institute of Radiology. “We are delighted by Alan’s appointment, and know that he will be a real asset to the business,” said Adrian Stevens, MD of Agfa HealthCare, North Europe Region. “His main role will be to oversee the marketing communications strategy, with the goal of raising Agfa HealthCare’s profile within the region.” Agfa HealthCare’s UK subsidiary is based in Brentford. To contribute to Comic Relief, contact Alan on 07756 310077 or visit www.comicrelief.com.	Maxell works with UK medical manufacturer The UK business of Maxell, well known as an audio-visual media manufacturer, has become more directly involved in vision. It is working with Birmingham-based medical device company e-Medix, a manufacturer of ophthalmic knives. Maxell’s involvement has resulted in higher-specification blade handles for the e-Medix knives. The Maxell facility, based in Telford, had been seeking to apply expertise gained from CD and DVD moulding to the manufacture of medical devices. It approached healthcare network Medilink West Midlands for advice on how to achieve this, and a meeting with e-Medix was set up. Geoff Gamage, Maxell’s New Business Development Executive, said: “From the start, there were obvious parallels between us and e-Medix. Through our existing high-precision injection moulding we were able to provide e-Medix with a product that surpasses the medical authorities’ requirements.” Simon Checkley, MD of e-Medix, said: “We might not have expected a company of Maxell’s stature to be interested in our product range – but thanks to Medilink, who made the introduction, we have found them to be very approachable. Their excellent attention to detail has made them an ideal match for the precision nature of our surgical instruments, resulting in a highly rewarding collaboration.”
STAR burning bright STAR Medical has announced a new member of its growing team of consultants. Caroline Garnett joins STAR with a wealth of sales and marketing experience, including previous employment with Stryker and Unitech UK. Her energetic and customer-focused ethos has already made her popular among the team. Caroline, who has danced for England, fits in well with the energetic STAR culture. The STAR 5-a-side soccer team, coached by leading football consultant Steve Davis, continue to score and are currently sitting 3rd in its league (of 15). June 4th will see them battle it out for the Bath 5-A-Side League Cup. July will see a group of STAR’s fittest riding the waves in the Bath Dragon Boat Race. They aim to raise £750 for the leukaemia charity The Anthony Nolan Trust. Not to be outdone, Kate and Verity from Marketing will embark on a half-marathon walk in July for Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research. If you would like to sponsor the Dragon boat team (to include MD Tim Webster and consultants Steve, Adam, Stewart and Jon), Kate and/or Verity, please contact recruitment@starmedical.co.uk.

 

The Other Side 10:

Interview with a Theatre Practitioner

Kim Shaw, former Senior Theatre Practitioner at Leicester Royal Infirmary, talks to On Target about purchasing medical equipment in the demanding environment of NHS surgery.

Kim Shaw comments: Until recently, I was working as a Senior Theatre Practitioner at Leicester Royal Infirmary. I shall draw on this past experience because in November 2006 I was appointed Deputy Theatre Manager at one of the clinics within the BPAS organisation, where the majority of decisions regarding purchasing are dealt with by the Purchasing Dept at head office. I have also drawn on the experiences of my former colleague Emile Forbes, himself a Theatre Practitioner and now Resources Manager in the Central Operating Dept, Leicester Royal Infirmary.

1. What types of healthcare products do you purchase? What factors influence your purchasing decisions?

The Central Operating Dept has 16 theatres covering various specialities. All of the routine daily consumables such as syringes, hypodermic needles, IV cannulae and oro-pharyngeal airways are purchased here, in addition to speciality-specific articles such as hip and metacarpal joint implants, ENT prostheses and vascular grafts. Surgical instruments such as scissors, forceps and retractors are purchased, and the requirements for basic haemodynamic monitoring are met. Major equipment for anaesthetic/surgical needs or patient monitoring is purchased through capital bids. Finding the cheapest package on offer is not the chief factor influencing purchasing decisions. It is too easy to be drawn into false ‘cheapest is best’ economies by accountants, when one can ultimately use twice as many consumables because of poor quality.

The NHS is not a place to be accepting sub-standard workmanship. Obviously value for money is a requirement, but this is also affected by the quality of the product and the after-sales service and backup. It’s too easy to accept a good offer on a product, only to be disillusioned with an expensive, inadequate backup service. Compatibility is a must, and the broader this is the better – not only for cost-effectiveness but for ease of training and recognition. Ultimately, though, the product must meet clinical standards: will it do the job we want it to?

2. What aspects of medical device sales and marketing do you find helpful? What aspects do you find unhelpful?

In a technological era, it goes without saying that websites are an important tool for the purchaser. But yours is a competitive industry, and in order to attract and retain the customer the website must:

a) be simple, yet eye-catching
b) be easy to navigate – lose us on the website and you’ve lost a customer
c) contain adequate information.

Customers want as much info as possible in front of them without having to research further or make phone enquiries. This is healthcare and not a business, and there is a limit to how much time we should spend on sales and marketing rather than with our patients.

If we make the decision to enquire further, then sales representatives must be informed and knowledgeable – not slimy, patronising “I’ll get back to you, don’t worry your pretty little head about it” types.O

The material on websites and in sales catalogues should not be in conflict with the information given by representatives: this Kim Shaw creates confusion and mistrust.

3. Is there anything in particular that sales professionals could do to meet your needs better?

Sales professionals are a unique breed of people and unfortunately do not endear themselves to everybody! But they would go a long way towards gaining the trust of the customer by being completely open and honest. I know that products need to be sold, so a certain amount of presentation spiel is necessary – but sell us what we want, not what you think we want. Trust us as professionals within our own field and that trust may be reciprocated.

Operating departments are busy places, so accurate communication is very important to save both parties from wasting time. We do not have the time for duplication of sales pitches or numerous information leaflets to two or more people working out of the same office. Do your homework and decide on the co-ordinator to do business with.

4. Which new medical technologies have you found most valuable in recent years? What further innovations are you hoping to see?

In recent years, there has been outstanding advancement in endoscopic (keyhole) surgery. It doesn’t seem long ago that this technique was limited to relatively simple diagnostic procedures in gynaecology and arthroscopy surgery. Today, there are few places or orifices where a camera cannot be inserted and used to life-saving effect. Diagnoses are made, tumours removed and pain relieved. This is due not only to improvement in surgical techniques and skills, but also to the development of precise endoscopic instrumentation and associated equipment.

In particular, the camera heads have become less bulky and more user-friendly, giving fantastic clear definition to aid the surgical and endoscopic team. One thing that would make one’s working life a little easier is further advances in IT communications systems – not just patient booking and tracking but advances in tracking systems for instruments and equipment, helping to eliminate much of the human error in manual tracking and equipment cataloguing.

5. How are current NHS reforms changing the way you approach purchasing decisions?

Decisions are becoming more corporate – which helps to increase purchasing power across a region, but great care must be taken to standardise equipment. Each regional hub will have its own favourite systems and providers, but common ground must be sought to maximise the region’s buying power and minimise disruption and unnecessary training to staff. If too many staff are unfamiliar with non-standard and incompatible equipment then extra training days, possible delays to operations and certainly costly agency staff to cover the shortfalls are needed.

 

 

Enter the DRagon A PORTABLE DIGITAL X-RAY SYSTEM has enhanced the standard of medical care at this year’s British Superbikes Championship at Brands Hatch. The DRagon X-ray system, provided in the UK by Xograph Healthcare, was available at each circuit – the first time in the event’s history that such a provision has been made. The DRagon produces medicalgrade X-ray images in less than 3 seconds, directly onto a flat-screen display. The system is fully wireless to enable its use at accident scenes, ensuring that injuries can be assessed and treatment initiated before moving the patient. It can be transported in an ambulance. “Safety of riders is our first concern,” said Tony Partis, Managing Director of Dorna UK, the commercial rights holder of the Championship. “We welcome the introduction of DRagon onto the British Superbikes circuit to improve the range of medical facilities provided should an accident occur.” The system was purchased by the Chris Jones Memorial Fund, a charity that was formed to improve safety in UK motorcycle racing after the death of Chris Jones, a 14-year-old rider, at Cadwell Park in 2005. For more information, see www.xograph.com.	Oxyzyme helps wounds to breathe BEDFORD-BASED BIOTECHNOLOGY firm Archimed has launched Oxyzyme™, a new range of oxygenconcentrating hydrogel wound dressings that transfer dissolved oxygen to the surface of hard-to-heal chronic wounds such as ulcers. Clinical trials in 2005, conducted by Prof. Gary Sibbald (head of the Toronto Wound Healing Centers, Canada) found that long-term wounds showed visible improvement in four weeks. Further trials in Cardiff and Aberdeen in 2006 showed that two-thirds of hard-to-heal wounds improved significantly after six weeks. Prof. Sibbald said: “The Oxyzyme platform is a fundamentally new approach to moist wound healing and shows exciting promise in difficult-to-heal chronic wounds.” Oxyzyme works like a molecular pump, drawing in oxygen from the air and transporting it to the surface of the wound. The dressing consists of a hydrogel layer and an enzyme layer. Oxygen is converted to hydrogen peroxide, which diffuses to the wound and is converted back to oxygen. Some of the hydrogen peroxide reacts with iodide in the dressing to produce iodine, which has antibacterial properties. Archimed is the Wound Care Division of Insense Ltd, a spin-out company from Unilever plc. For more information, visit http://www.insense.biz.
EAU endorses cryotherapy for treatment of prostate cancer THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF UROLOGY (EAU) has recognised the importance of cryotherapy in treating prostate cancer by including this therapy in new guidelines on the disease. These support the use of cryosurgical ablation of the prostate (CSAP) as a treatment method for patients with clinically localised cancer of the prostate. All other minimally-invasive treatment options are still considered to be experimental or investigational by the EAU. Prostate cancer accounts for 9% of all cancer deaths among men within the EU. CSAP is now recommended as a method for patients unfit for surgery, or for those with a life expectancy of less than 10 years. Cryotherapy uses freezing techniques to induce localised cell death. This endorsement by the EAU recognises the recent advances in CSAP. Galil Medical’s Presice™ cryoablation system offers state-of-the-art freezing technology, patented 17g needle design with sharper tips, planning and simulation software, and streamlined workflow. Designed to achieve optimal therapeutic benefit with minimal intervention, Presice is licensed for treatment of renal and prostate cancer. In December 2006, Galil Medical completed the purchase of cryotherapy assets from Oncura to spearhead its expansion into Europe. For more information, visit www.galilmedical.com.
Eurosurgical Ltd to distribute lip implant UK COMPANY Eurosurgical Ltd, which specialises in the sales and marketing of surgical equipment, will be the new sole UK distributor of PermaLipTM, a permanent cosmetic lip implant. “There is simply nothing else like it on the market. It really is a unique product,” said Joanne Sundberg of Eurosurgical Ltd. “In fact I was so impressed with PermaLip that I chose to have the procedure myself.” The PermaLip implant, made from soft solid silicone, was developed by plastic surgeons in the US. It can be implanted in a single safe procedure that does not require repeated treatments. PermaLip does not rupture and will not grow into surrounding tissue, harden or degenerate. Many surgeons using PermaLip believe it will supersede injectable lip plump materials. The 15-minute implant procedure leaves no visible scarring and is fully reversible. Joanne said: “The main advantage of PermaLip is it is permanent, but you have the flexibility of having it removed should you want to.” Following early interest, take-up of PermaLip is increasing and UK patients have access to a number of surgeons performing the procedure. The product is now being rolled out into the Home Counties. For more information, visit www.surgisil.co.uk.	Welch Allyn gets the rhythm Welch Allyn are launching the new Holter systems to detect heart irregularities. These products, launched during Arrhythmia Awareness Week in June 2007, can greatly facilitate the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia – one of the top ten reasons for hospital admission in the UK. Early detection of heart irregularities can make a major difference to patient outcomes. The Holter Systems can help to detect heart rhythm arrhythmias over a period of time, and help to improve patient compliance with their lightweight, compact profiles. The systems can be configured with a digital recorder to provide fast and accurate data, enabling health professionals to choose the system that best meets their monitoring requirements. Two systems are available: the Office Holter (HF-100) and the Expert Holter (HR-300). Both recorders and software packages offer two- or three-channel recording, 24 hours of recording time, pacer detection, and wireless transfer of patient’s ECG. The Expert Holter also comes equipped with a display screen for real-time ECG preview or test programming. It can be initialised remotely, enabling health professionals to make the best use of their time. For more information, visit www.welchallyn.co.uk.
New device to ease CTS A WELSH MEDICAL DEVICE company has its sights set on UK expansion with C-Trac, a device that eases the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. Rhymney-based Heritage Medical is a specialist importer and distributor of orthopaedic and other medical supplies. The company has introduced a new device for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The device is being trialled by the Pulvertaft Hand Centre in Derby, with four top London hospitals looking at making it available to patients in the coming weeks. Originally developed in New York, C-Trac is a glove-like device that can be inflated to stretch the transverse carpal ligament in either wrist. By using the device for five minutes three times a day for a month, most symptoms of CTS (numbness, tingling and pain) are relieved. Lynn Heritage, Managing Director of Heritage Medical, said: “Any product that can be used instead of surgery is worth its weight in gold. [C-Trac] can cut waiting lists and save NHS hospitals around £2,400 [per device]. Once the London trials are complete the product should become more widely available, and we have already received substantial interest from Scotland.” For more information, visit www.heritagemed.co.uk.

 

 

Industry analyst Arun AK of Frost & Sullivan looks at the recent shake-up in the diagnostics sector and prospects for the future.

Disease diagnosis based on clinical testing and treatment strategies based on the aetiology of a disease always tend to move closer. The genomics era has brought the concept of personalised medicine, which bridges the gap between the two. Though in principle there is good correlation between drugs and diagnostics, the major question that remains is: does the synergism extend to a concrete business model?

Drugs and diagnostics

Over the past two decades, the diagnostics business has seen many industry consolidations. Major healthcare companies such Roche, Abbott and Bayer have become leading participants in the diagnostics business. These players also have a pharmaceutical arm – which, in a business sense, has an altogether different dimension.

Traditionally, diagnostics have proved to be a business of lesser risk with lower returns, which in principle is totally contradictory to the pharmaceutical game. The drug business is investment- and risk-prone. A blockbuster drug will result in far greater return on investment than any diagnostic product.

For example, one or two blockbuster drugs from each of the above companies will prove to be equivalent to its entire diagnostics business. A classic example is Lipitor, Pfizer’s blockbuster, which brought in revenues around $12.2 worldwide – slightly less than half of the global in vitro diagnostic market revenues.

Moving apart?

Today, the diagnostics business in Europe is moving towards maturity. The likely growth areas for the future are specialised: laboratory automation, molecular testing and point-ofcare testing. This trend has reduced the opportunities for big guns like Bayer to expand into the market, and consequently they have critically evaluated their business to satisfy their shareholders. Pharma companies are already aware of this, as was demonstrated when Pfizer acquired Pharmacia in 2003. It has shed its diagnostics business in order to improve its strategic position.

Lately, Bayer has sold its non-diabetes diagnostics business to Siemens Medical Solutions – now to be called Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics – for just over $5 billion in order to expand its operation in the pharmaceutical space. Similarly, Abbott has recently taken the decision to sell its core laboratory diagnostics and point-of-care business to GE. When this deal is sealed, the competitive structure of the diagnostics market will show two medical technology companies moving into second and third position – thereby challenging the position of the market leader, Roche Diagnostics.

Will Roche remain in this business, unlike its close competitors? This seems to be a difficult question, but some relevant factors can be weighed up. Roche is the market leader in the IVD business, and has shown leadership qualities since its acquisition of PCR technology. The company is well-positioned in the market and is constantly milking innovative companies in order to stay ahead. It will also be aware of its emerging competitors, since medtech companies are likely to define the future of this market. It may ultimately be a call between pride and market returns for this company.

Put to the test

The diagnostics business is an interesting game to watch in the future. The scenario is likely to be a tight competition between medical technology companies that have expertise in imaging techniques and core diagnostics companies such as Dade Behring and bioMerieux for a slowly expanding clinical diagnostics market.

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Arun AK is Research Analyst, Clinical Diagnostics and Healthcare Europe & Africa, for industry analysts Frost & Sullivan. Arun is actively involved in analysing the IVD industry and providing research services to clients by identifying the market potential. For more information, contact Lakshmi KS on +91 44 42044786 or e-mail lakshmiks@frost.com.

 

 

The old and the new

The challenge of an ageing population is creating new opportunities for medtech companies offering telehealth and telecare solutions. On Target and Medilink West Midlands look at how new technology can serve the NHS reform agenda.

Changing healthcare provision

Demographic change is currently driving a rapid transformation of the delivery of healthcare services in the UK. With an increasingly top-heavy population, the NHS is facing the challenge of managing the exponential growth in the number of patients with a longterm condition (LTC). It is estimated that 50% of the population will have a LTC by 2025. NHS trusts are also acutely aware that patients over 60 account for 40% of the healthcare budget.

In the West Midlands, the NHS and Social Care services are undergoing sweeping changes to meet these new demands. The ‘2010 programme’ is redesigning the delivery of healthcare within Sandwell and West Birmingham. A £750m investment is being made to create a more sustainable health service, with greater emphasis on community and home-based healthcare. The key changes proposed by the 2010 programme include:

• Shifting more outpatient care and diagnostics out of hospital and into new community locations.
• Providing 250–300 beds in 5 new community hospitals to help people recover from hospital treatment closer to their homes.
• Nearly 40 new or refurbished health centres.
• A range of new services to enable people to stay well, and to support them to remain in their own homes.

Medtech begins at home

An example of the innovation that is being driven by the needs of an ageing population is the Intelligent Health Project, funded by Advantage West Midlands and run by MedilinkWM. This project is dedicated to developing flexible, inclusive solutions to enable older and disabled people to live safely at home for longer. It identifies assistive technologies, telehealth and telecare as essential factors within a bigger picture, linking the provision of safer and betteradapted housing to the DH’s aim of helping older people to continue living at home ‘wherever possible’.

Christina Keey-Andersen, Medical Technologies Cluster Manager, Advantage West Midlands, says: “I see Intelligent Health as a platform for developing smarter technologies and more flexible approaches to healthcare delivery. The home environment offers many opportunities for delivering health and social care, retaining independence and dignity for the individual whilst lessening the load on public healthcare services. This will make this an area of huge potential for our regional industry to develop new products for a rapidly emerging market.”

John Shermer of Possum-SRS Controls Ltd, a leading provider of assistive technology systems, says: “We see the growth in telecare as a significant opportunity for its products and services. We have been providing disabled people with home automation for a number of years through the NHS. Telecare represents a new market with different requirements, but with the same goal of keeping vulnerable people safe and independent through technology.”

Power to the people

The role of new technology in helping people with long-term conditions or disabilities to remain independent and meet their own healthcare needs is the subject of a research project funded by Arts Council England and produced in partnership with North Staffordshire Health Authority and Medilink West Midlands.

Creative Innovator is a DVD made by video artist Katy Connor to capture the views of patients and carers on applications of new medical and assistive technologies in a range of healthcare contexts. The research was prompted by the DH’s target of ‘increased connectivity’ for patients and healthcare professionals by 2008.

The interview material in Creative Innovator relates to two main areas of community healthcare where technological innovation is making a difference:

1. Assistive technology. The value of telecare systems in helping elderly and disabled patients to stay in their own homes is underlined by interviews with an elderly patient and her daughter, emphasising the dignity and security of home care. Telecare can help to compensate for memory loss by providing reminders and alerting carers to problems.

An interview with a visually impaired patient explored how a ‘Parrot’ or ‘Voice Mate’ operations organiser helped him to live and work independently, operating a phone and using a touch keypad. Applications of this kind promise to revolutionise the lives of people with sensory impairment.

2. Long-term conditions. An asthma patient explained how she used a programmable Ventolin nebuliser to regulate her breathing. She drew attention to its adaptability and privacy: before this equipment became available, she was constantly having to explain her needs to others – and at one time spent a month in hospital.

A nurse specialist working with young diabetic patients noted the growing demand for child-friendly equipment: “The technology’s as good as the user.” She identified a need for age-banded devices incorporating such electronic applications as a speaking clock and printouts. A group of teenage diabetic patients suggested a mobile phone blood sugar monitor with Bluetooth and Internet connections.

Trouble with technology

The interview material in Creative Innovator also flags some potential difficulties with the application of new technology to community healthcare. A nurse commented on the risk of inaccurate self-diagnosis if Internet-derived material is not checked with practice nurses. Older patients are shown struggling with electronic meters and communication systems:

“Grandad, how many times have I got to tell you?” – “As many times as it takes.” While the appeal of new technology to younger patients is clear, some older patients in the interviews showed resistance. The impersonal nature of technology is a potential barrier. One patient commented that the doctor is paid to provide a human presence. “I go [to the doctor] because I’m worried… I want him to sit there.”

But if new technology risks separating patients from healthcare providers, it none the less has a huge potential to give patients control over their own treatment. As Creative Innovator shows, telehealth and telecare applications are a dynamic market sector.

New technology is meeting current health needs, empowering the patient and helping the NHS to shift the focus of healthcare.

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For more information about Medilink West Midlands please contact Michelle Dalton, Communications Director of MedilinkWM, at michelle@medilinkwm.co.uk. For more information about the Intelligent Health Project, visit www.id-advantage.org.uk.

 

 

Techno chances – a new era for e-health

NHS reform is driving the evolution of new models for electronic healthcare. Peter Kruger explains how e-health is opening up new roads of market access for the medical devices industry.

Much is currently being said about the emergence of e-health and its role in the healthcare delivery of the future. As medical technologies and the healthcare market evolve, the NHS, the industry and the patient are all being encouraged to embrace and exploit new technology. So what is e-health, and what opportunities does it provide for the medical devices industry? According to the Department of Health, e-health is the electronic enabling of the health and social care services to:

• empower individuals and their families to manage their own health;
• improve the co-ordination and integration of care delivery;
• allow population health initiatives, e.g. mapping notifiable diseases.

The power of wireless technology lies in its ability to separate a system’s activities from its physical infrastructure. Once in place, a wireless network can be expanded by simply issuing more connected devices to various locations. This fits well with the current NHS trend of freeing up hospital beds by pushing as many components of the care process as possible to the periphery of the healthcare networks.

As with online banking, where credit checks are based on a small number of key factors, it is believed that e-health can monitor a patient’s general state of health through a relatively narrow range of vital signs. This could radically change the nature of e-health provision and open up the market.

Single condition monitoring

Current e-health services mostly follow the model shown in Figure 1. A device to monitor a condition (usually heart disease) is provided directly to the patient, sometimes supported by a subsidy from an insurance company. An e-health vendor such as Card Guard or Vitaphone supports the service with its own clinicians, who work in the vendor’s call centre.

The e-health vendor has its own database, and the only interaction between the NHS and the vendor is the latter passing on address and location details in cases where the patient needs to be hospitalised – for example, Vitaphone sends GPS data to the hospital if a subscriber has a heart attack.

This model is designed to provide care for patients already within the healthcare system. While it may be able to detect that a patient is about to suffer a relapse, it is not designed for preventative healthcare – which limits its value in the new community-based healthcare system.

New healthcare providers

Any company entering the e-health market is faced with a choice between working with the NHS or marketing devices and services direct to the patient. Rolling out a service directly to the patient creates an immediate revenue stream. However, this often falls far short of the tens of thousands of users the company would have access to if it partnered with the NHS. Broomwell Healthwatch has approximately 1000 patients who subscribe directly to its service – fewer than it will serve through a deal with just one NHS primary healthcare trust.

However, a company dealing with the NHS will have to devote a significant amount of resources to ensuring that its service conforms to the NHS’s standards and operates with its IT systems. The e-health service provider may have to compromise its business model to such an extent that its service is no longer attractive as an OTC e-health product. It may even end up customising its service for an NHS patient database that ultimately fails to work.

This dilemma is not unique to the healthcare IT market. As a general rule, a company should ensure that it is not dependent on one customer for more than 30% of its business. For wireless healthcare, of course, the NHS is the dominant market sector. However, companies such as Hunter Kane (see below) have found alternative routes into the healthcare market.

The power of data

Some existing vendors at the edge of the healthcare networks are hardly recognised as e-health service providers – for example, the systems (based on ECG technology) designed to help people breathe better and so reduce their blood pressure. HeartMath and its resellers, such as Hunter Kane in Europe, have supplied this product as part of a stress management programme marketed to corporate users. They have built a market at a time when the NHS has been financially unable to purchase devices and services to support preventative healthcare.

HeartMath is one of several devices in the fitness and well-being market that capture ECG data. While these data, in terms of quality, fall short of what a healthcare provider would expect from hospital-based ECG equipment, when combined with vital signs and activity data they can be used to provide an accurate assessment of a person’s state of health. Such services can be hosted offshore and provided direct to the consumer.

An ECG analysis provider might also market its service direct to the users of devices that produce ECG and activity data, using fitness as a platform for a more comprehensive remote monitoring and diagnostic service. This would accelerate the development of the new e-health model.

Another key component of the new model is disease and epidemic monitoring. This is primarily the domain of large IT vendors such as IBM and Oracle. However, even large systems need clients to collect data. For example, Oracle is partnering with Toumaz, a start-up offering vital signs monitoring technology.

Get yourself connected

For medical device companies marketing wireless-based e-health products, some aspects of the new e-health model may seem confusingly at odds with the familiar image of an e-health system: a wireless device installed in the home of an elderly person. However, many healthcare devices are now being used to help younger people remain well, or to monitor long-term conditions.

If these trends continue, the healthcare market will see an increasing number of suppliers that are currently only active at the periphery of the market expanding their e-health related product range.

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Peter Kruger is Principal Analyst with Wireless Healthcare. For more details, see www.wirelesshealthcare.co.uk.