How can robot-assisted surgery provide value for money?

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Surgical Technology Assessment
• Medical Device Evaluation

Background:

• Surgical robotic systems offer potential benefits but incur higher costs than endoscopic or open surgery.
• Determining the economic viability and value for money of these advanced technologies is crucial for healthcare providers and policymakers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an interactive tool for estimating the required benefits of surgical robots to justify their cost compared to conventional procedures.
• To provide insights into the cost-effectiveness thresholds for adopting new robotic surgical platforms.

Main Methods:

• A generic, adaptable online interactive tool was created to analyze health effects versus costs.
• Evidence synthesis and surgeon interviews informed the tool's development and application.
• The tool was illustrated using a hypothetical new surgical robotic platform for various patient groups.

Main Results:

• High utilization rates and significant complication reduction are key to achieving value for money with surgical robots.
• New robotic systems need to demonstrate added clinical benefits and achieve lower costs to be cost-effective.
• The analysis identified critical thresholds for health effects required for cost-effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• The developed tool aids clinicians, researchers, and policymakers in evaluating the economic benefits of surgical robotic systems.
• It enables assessment of value for money for specific indications when benefits are known or estimated.
• For optimal value, it is recommended to assess the achievability of necessary clinical effects for each specific surgical indication.