SharedClarity
announced today its first contract awards, with Medtronic and Abbott
chosen to provide bare metal and drug-eluting stents to SharedClarity’s
members and customers.
The contract awards are a major milestone for SharedClarity, a startup
conducting independent studies to determine the most effective medical
devices to improve patient outcomes and reduce readmissions.
SharedClarity members will receive preferred pricing for stents aimed at
generating significant savings during the three-year contract term.
SharedClarity’s membership includes Illinois-based Advocate Health Care,
Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health, San Francisco-based Dignity
Health, Michigan-based McLaren Health Care and health benefits provider
UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealthcare Group (NYSE: UNH) company.
SharedClarity, based in Phoenix, launched in April 2013.
“These contracts are the next major step in the evolution of our
company,” said SharedClarity President Mark West. “We are showing how
our model improves affordability for our members, while providing them
with the most effective medical devices.”
Physicians from each of SharedClarity’s members formed a clinical team
to review bare metal and drug-eluting stents literature and participated
in clinical surveys of these devices. If needed, the clinical review
team looks at data from member hospitals and claims information from
UnitedHealthcare, which provides benefits to more than 40 million
Americans. The goal of the clinical review team is to understand what
level of review is necessary for each of the medical devices to
determine the most effective implants to improve patient outcomes.
SharedClarity’s primary goal is better results for patients, so the
contract award was based on effectiveness first, then financial savings
for members. Bare metal and drug-eluting stents were a $2.04 billion
market in the U.S. in 2011, with a large percentage being the
drug-eluting variety.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most common cardiovascular
diseases in the world, killing more than 7 million people each year
worldwide. CAD occurs when arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the
heart become narrowed, often due to the buildup of fat (cholesterol) and
calcium inside the walls of the arteries. A stent is a tiny, expandable
and flesh mesh tube that opens blocked arteries. Stents help prevent
arteries from renarrowing (also known as restenosis) or becoming blocked
in the months or years after treatment with angioplasty.
“Medtronic’s aim has always been to ensure that patients receive high
quality, clinically effective outcomes at the right cost. Our stent
technologies have been rigorously studied and have demonstrated their
value in treating patients with coronary artery disease. We are pleased
that the patients served by the SharedClarity member systems will
receive this important treatment option,” said Sean Salmon, SVP and
President, Medtronic Coronary and Renal Denervation.
SharedClarity improves patient outcomes by identifying the most
effective medical devices in a number of categories, including stents,
defibrillators, pacemakers, knee and hip implants, and heart valves.
SharedClarity conducts independent studies to determine the most
effective implants for patients and negotiates market-leading purchasing
agreements with device manufacturers. U.S. hospitals spend more than $30
billion annually on the 30 most frequently used categories of devices,
according to industry reports.
In addition to market-leading pricing for implants, SharedClarity helps
health care systems lower costs by reducing readmissions, an increased
concern for health care officials under the Affordable Care Act.
SharedClarity is currently meeting with other health care systems that
could become member-owners.
“The contract awards are a huge step forward for SharedClarity,” said
Mr. West. “We’re anxious to complete the next round of clinical studies
and award the next round of contracts.”
About SharedClarity
SharedClarity is a unique joint effort between health care systems and
UnitedHealthcare to use data from tens of millions of patients to study
the long-term effectiveness of high-technology medical devices that have
a high impact on patients. SharedClarity will use the results of the
studies to select the most effective medical devices for patients and
negotiate affordable purchasing agreements with manufacturers. For more
information, please visit www.SharedClarity.net.
Copyright Business Wire 2014