Improving The Patient Experience

KEY POINTS

• Medtronic is committed to improving healthcare for patients in the U.S. and across the globe.  The company’s Integrated Health Solutions (IHS) business aims to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of patient care settings, such as cardiac catheterization labs and operating rooms, while also optimizing healthcare delivery from the time a patient is referred for treatment to the time he or she has fully recovered.
• Our IHS business focuses on improving healthcare delivery for patients.  We do not control or direct healthcare professionals’ decision-making when it comes to patient care, the indications for procedures, the use of technology in patient care, or the selection of specific medical devices.
• An example of our commitment to improve healthcare delivery are Diabeter diabetes management clinics (“Diabeter Clinics”) in the Netherlands, which provide comprehensive, cutting-edge care — supported by dedicated healthcare professional and specialists — for more than 1,500 children and adults who are living with type 1 diabetes.
• Another example is IHS’ work with the heart surgery department at Horizon’s New Brunswick Heart Centre (NBHC), with the goal of improving operating efficiency to decrease patients wait times.  As a result, this collaboration has reduced average patient wait times by 44 percent.

Overview

1. Improving Healthcare Delivery Through Strategic Partnerships
   
   

   Medtronic is committed to improving healthcare for patients in the U.S. and across the globe. The company’s Integrated Health Solutions (IHS) business aims to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of patient care settings, such as cardiac catheterization labs and operating rooms, while also optimizing healthcare delivery from the time a patient is referred for treatment to the time he or she has fully recovered. To accomplish this, we leverage data to highlight variations in clinical decision-making, and we manage processes to enable more standardized and effective decision-making amongst healthcare providers. This helps align the appropriate care for patients and can improve patient outcomes at lower costs.

2. Healthcare Professionals Retain Full Autonomy
   
   

   Our IHS business focuses on improving healthcare delivery for patients. Throughout our engagement and beyond, healthcare providers and their health systems retain full autonomy to decide which procedures are indicated for which patients, and which medical devices they will use from which companies. Any decision to utilize a Medtronic device through a given procedure is a decision made solely by healthcare providers. We do not control or direct healthcare professionals’ decision-making when it comes to patient care, the indications for procedures, the use of technology in patient care, or the selection of specific medical devices, nor do we stifle competition or limit options for patients. IHS operates with the Medtronic IHS managed service organization (MSO), which is a separate legal entity that houses the Medtronic services and solutions business and is unrelated to the manufacture and sale of medical therapies and products. IHS has firewalls that are designed to prevent the inappropriate flow of information to Medtronic’s medical device businesses, such as protected patient data and sensitive clinical operations data (e.g., pricing information), and help maintain independence from the device company — so the healthcare provider retains full control over clinical decision-making.

3. Example: Diabetes Management Clinics
   
   

   An example of our commitment to improve healthcare delivery are Diabeter diabetes management clinics, which provide comprehensive, cutting-edge care — supported by dedicated healthcare professional and specialists — for more than 1,500 children and adults who are living with type 1 diabetes. These clinics, located in the Netherlands and operated by a subsidiary of Medtronic, offer patients an independent specialized center where diabetes is the only focus of attention. Patients have a choice of medical therapies and a host of professional support services from endocrinologists, nutritionists, and psychologists. Physicians at these clinics use their medical judgment in selecting appropriate treatment for their patients. Medtronic is not involved in the physicians’ medical decision-making process, nor are any incentives provided for using Medtronic products. Medtronic provides administrative operational support and works with its clinical partners to implement proven processes and principles to providing patient care. While the Diabeter Clinics are in their early stages, the results are promising, with improved clinical outcomes (better blood glucose control) and reduced costs.

4. Example: Reducing Patient Wait Times
   
   

   In 2017, IHS started working with Canada’s Horizon Health Network to advise and consult with the heart surgery department at Horizon’s New Brunswick Heart Centre (NBHC) — all with the goal of improving operating efficiency to decrease patient wait times. Within six months, Medtronic — using its expertise in clinical and operational processes — along with teams from NBHC made a sizable impact throughout the hospital network. Together, we increased operating room capacity at NBHC by 14 percent and reduced average wait times by 44 percent.

See also:

• Value-Based Healthcare
• Responsible Promotion and Compliance