Loma Linda (Calif.) School of Medicine switched to a rep-less model for orthopedic implant purchasing, according to a Surgical Products Magazine report.
The rep-less model purchases implants from the materials manufacturer for products that haven't had major implant design updates for the past 10 years. The orthopedic implants Loma Linda uses are made in the United States and have FDA clearance.
So is it working? Here are five things to know:
1. Loma Linda works with OrthoDirect to provide the knee and hip replacement implants.
2. The surgeons came together for an evidence-based review of different manufacturers and they narrowed their choices down to a few manufacturers. There is a hospital employee who shared their knowledge about the implants with the surgical technician at the hospital.
3. In the first year, there were persistent rumors about the change, and Director of Loma Linda University Medical Center's East Campus Perioperative Services and Loma Linda Health Perioperative Services Scheduling and Billing Ilsa Nation, RN, MA, had to continually discuss why the change was made.
4. The OR team eventually realized the system's benefits and the biggest supporters are now taking ownership of the rep-less system.
5. More than 90 percent of the surgeries are done with implants purchased from the manufacture at the hospital, and there has been nearly 60 percent reduction in total knee replacement procedure cost and 54 percent reduction in total hip replacement procedure costs.