Pricing Pressures and Robotics Are at the Center of AAOS 2018 (MDDI Online)
Robotics, pricing concerns, and the prevalence of more procedures being performed at ambulatory centers are some of the hot topics in the orthopedics market.
The annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), the largest gathering of orthopedic surgeons and manufacturers from across the U.S. and around the world, took place in early March in New Orleans. At this year’s meeting, a number of key trends were highlighted related to cost containment, the use of robotics and other enabling technologies, more procedures being conducted at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), and growth drivers in a number of sectors.
Pricing pressures persist
The need for pricing controls affects all healthcare markets and orthopedics is no exception. Every year at AAOS, orthopedic manufacturers display new products and provide physicians with the opportunity to evaluate new technologies. This year, however, attendees' enthusiasm for innovation was somewhat tempered given the focus on economics and cost containment.
While pricing pressures in the market have largely stabilized, hospitals continue to do what...
