OSSIS Engineers Working Hand-in-Glove with Orthopedic Surgeons
Over several years of growing expertise, OSSIS has tried different working models to perfect the most effective way of delivering custom orthopedic implants to surgeons and patients. Having the orthopedic surgeon and the engineer working together directly is, without a doubt, the most effective way of ensuring implants are the best fit possible for the patient, and that surgeons and patients are equally satisfied. This has become a hallmark of the OSSIS process, and facilitates greater customer and patient satisfaction.
Preventing loss in translation
When seeking an orthopedic implant for a patient, the orthopedic surgeon generally knows what they’re looking for. But, that idea has to be interpreted and turned into a design and then a product.
The direct relationship between the surgeon and the engineer means there’s no loss in translation through OSSIS process.
The worst-case scenario that can result from a lack of interaction between engineer and surgeon is an incorrect implant design, which could be a disaster for orthopedic surgery. This could cause a vessel rupture or, in the case of a tumor, a positive margin, both of which would put the patient’s life at risk.
“An engineer looking at the patient’s files cannot really understand, on their own, the main problems for this patient. What are their preferred outcomes? Do they want to walk again, or are they OK with being in a wheelchair? It’s those clinical decisions that orthopedic surgeons lead us on.”
It’s essential that implant engineers understand the patient’s prognosis, lifestyle factors, and other details. OSSIS Technical Engineering Manager, Bethany Oates, recalls receiving a patient’s pelvic scans from a radiologist. It wasn’t until she spoke to the surgeon that she learned the patient was actually an amputee, and would be wheelchair-bound for the rest of their life. Such a detail has an enormous impact on the implant design, and cannot be understood from scans and patient files alone.
Communication between the surgeon and engineer is essential for giving orthopedic surgeons what they want, and patients what they need.
OSSIS builds relationships with orthopedic surgeons
With OSSIS, the surgeon gets what they’re looking for, and rapidly. OSSIS engineers build relationships with surgeons, learning their preferences and requirements. After a thorough onboarding process the first time a surgeon works with OSSIS, the OSSIS team learns what the customer needs, thus making the process smoother and more efficient next time.
“It’s all very well having a distributor, but you cannot let anybody get between the engineer and the orthopedic surgeon. ”
A key ingredient for producing implants very quickly is that relationship between the surgeon and engineer. Surgeons are busy people. They want the quickest possible solution to their problem; in fact, their patient’s health prognosis often demands it. As OSSIS engineers speak the surgeon’s language, they are able to solve their problem quickly.
OSSIS builds relationships with orthopedic surgeons
Most patients would find it uncomfortable to learn that a sales rep with no engineering background played a larger part in the design of their orthopedic implant than a surgeon. But, that is the reality with most orthopedic implant manufacturers – where it’s not normal for the engineer designing the implant to deal directly with the surgeon.
But it should be. And at OSSIS, it is.
OSSIS’ sales reps represent the company at the crucial times, making sure that the right products are available at the right times. But nothing gets in the way of the relationship between the engineer and the surgeon.
Aspects of the technical details of an implant case can sometimes be lost when a rep, whose focus is not on the best design for the patient nor the best patient outcome, is the engineer’s main point of contact.
“The salesforce is looking for sales; that’s where they generate their money. But at OSSIS, we see ourselves as problem solvers, so the salesforce model doesn’t work for us. We aren’t looking for sales; we’re looking to solve a problem for a patient and a surgeon.”
OSSIS knows this relationship works best for surgeons and patients because they used to follow the same model as all the other companies. Now, by prioritising the working relationship between surgeons and engineers, OSSIS knows that their customers’ experience is as good as it can be.