Cutting-edge technology helps decrease surgical wait times for hip & knee replacements
Overview
Arthroplasty (hip and knee replacement procedures) is one of the largest and most complex health care categories to procure for. Patients can face long wait times for procedures, and arthroplasty technology – including robotic-assisted surgeries – changes quickly.
In our patient-focused approach to procurement, Mohawk Medbuy (MMC) works closely with hospitals throughout Canada to drive a health care supply chain centered on the best possible patient outcomes. For the crucial arthroplasty category, MMC undertook a large-scale, multi-year procurement that included over 90 evaluators from 60 Canadian hospitals in Ontario, New Brunswick and PEI.
Procurement Benefits
X-ray image of hips and knees.
The Challenge
“This was a complex procurement that required collaboration and consensus-building with stakeholders across hospitals and suppliers – from surgeons to CFOs,” said Tony DiEmanuele, President and CEO of Mohawk Medbuy. “The resulting award allows our Member hospitals to harness the latest arthroplasty technology to help tackle growing surgical waitlists and ensure Canada continues to be on the cutting edge of patient care.”
MMC’s arthroplasty initiative involved procuring a comprehensive portfolio of products – including not only replacement joint implants but also the advanced robotic systems used during hip and knee procedures. Clinical and patient care factors are central to Mohawk Medbuy’s procurements, as are lifecycle costs to derive maximum value for Member hospitals.
The Outcome
St. Joseph’s Health Centre (SJHC) and St. Michael’s Hospital are good examples of how this MMC procurement will help optimize outcomes for hips and knees patients and hospitals. The two Unity Health Toronto sites will be introducing robotic systems from Zimmer Biomet that are now available through this new agreement.
“By utilizing robotic assisted surgery, we’re leveraging the latest innovations in hip and knee implants to deliver the best possible patient outcomes,” said Laurie Thomas, Senior Clinical Director of Surgery, SJHC Critical Care, Ambulatory Care Clinics, Orthopedic/Mobility Programs, Bariatric Centre of Excellence and IPAC at Unity Health Toronto.
MMC’s agreement also allows Unity Health to now standardize surgical tray sets for arthroplasty procedures across their sites, increasing efficiency and improving patient access. The network can also now optimize their tray set design. By using fewer trays – and ones that are lighter – it reduces the workload on its Medical Device Reprocessing Departments at both of the network’s acute care sites. “This allows more procedures in a day, which means shorter wait times for these life-changing surgeries,” adds Thomas.
Sources:
Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2023). Hip and Knee Replacements in Canada: CJRR Annual Report, 2021-2022.