Session (CTI)

ISSUE: Stakeholders considering new innovations do not typically focus on the innovation’s potential to increase efficiencies and release capacity into the healthcare system. Panel speakers will discuss and debate the relevance and importance of these value elements and whether current measures are appropriate to fully assess this value element. OVERVIEW: Healthcare systems are under pressure from an expanding aging population, an overloaded workforce, and constrained budgets. The demand for patient care is not being met, leading to long wait times and delayed patient care. Capacity-enhancing innovations (CEIs), which release capacity in the form of resources, have the potential to relieve overburdened healthcare systems and increase access to care. This issue panel will define the ‘capacity-enhancing’ value dimension, identify appropriate measures, and debate the importance of these value elements. The panel will discuss how their organizations consider the potential for medical technologies to address capacity constraints, whether there are specific technologies that are better suited to enhance capacity within a healthcare system, and whether current methods for economic evaluation and tech assessments incorporate capacity measures appropriately. Each speaker will present their perspective for 10 minutes with an additional 10 minutes reserved for debate facilitated by the moderator. The moderator will open the discussion for 10 minutes to allow the panel to address audience questions. Individuals interested in the medical devices, diagnostics, and the digital health space would benefit from attending.