surgeons, there's a constant pull to try the latest products or supplies
that may not be necessary," says Mr. Ziolkowski. "We want to go
through an evidence-based review to see whether the implants they
offer are clinically superior, or if they're 99% the same with a signifi-
cant mark-up."
Replacing the reps
While the benefits are certainly appealing, reps do play an important
role in your joint replacement service line that can't be overlooked.
"Whatever the rep was doing before, now someone else has to do it,"
says Mr. Provines. "You can either assign staff to take over, or bring in a
third-party consulting company."
Though the repless model is still fairly new, several big-name manu-
facturers now offer implants both in a traditional sales model and in a
"no-frills" repless format that features a limited selection of implants,
says Mr. Provines. For facilities that opt for the stripped-down repless
program, manufacturers may attempt to replace reps by offering new
supply chain management technology. For example, Mr. Provines
points to one company that recently started offering low-price
implants along with an iPad app to track devices used in individual
patients, a role traditionally held by sales reps.
He says surgeons often miss the OR support offered by reps when
facilities go repless. That's something many third-party consulting
"It's less about relationships and more
about the quality, price and innovation."
— Christopher D. Provines, MBA
