There’s no doubt that medical device reps continue to face a myriad of challenges.

Surgeons are busier than ever, costs are rising, and given that access to the Operating Room (OR) is restricted for the foreseeable future, the industry as a whole is looking at other ways to increase efficiency – and save costs.

However, when device reps still need to be on call – to advise on best practices – but can’t physically be near the OR, it’s clear to see that a new way forward is needed.

In order to continue to serve the needs of the surgeon and patient in a safer and more efficient way, some device reps are now working remotely – and as a result, are able to attend 3 x times as many surgeries compared to in-person visits.

New & Improved Business Model

While the thinking was that, given the coronavirus, reps would only be able to attend half as many surgeries compared to last year, thanks to new technologies like Surgery Assistance smart glasses, they can continue working closely with healthcare teams and attend even more surgeries.

If one surgery takes two hours and the device rep needs to travel 1 hour there and back, then they lose 4 hours of their day. But now, reps are able to attend many surgeries in a given day without the stress and hassle of commuting between hospitals.

Not only that, they can get an even closer look at each surgery this way. The smart glasses are equipped with two cameras, which give the remote expert an unrestricted, close-up view of each intervention; while enabling real-time exchange and collaboration.

Time Is On Your Side

Expert surgeons and device reps are now able to attend surgery remotely saving hundreds of hours in a given month. This in turn allows both hospitals and medtech businesses to allocate the right number of people to a single surgery – no matter where they might happen to be.

Using smart glasses, it’s clear that device reps will not only save hundreds of hours per month, but labor costs will also decrease. In addition to travel time, the cost of travel – and the cost of having reps waiting between surgeries – will decrease significantly too. No more trains, planes, and automobiles to fork out for.

Good for the medtech business right – but more pressure for reps –? Well, it’s a win-win actually. Businesses are going to see happier reps with more meaningful work to do, and more time on their hands, and more opportunities to source new business.

Plus less stress and less travel will result in a better personal and professional life balance – while giving medtech companies who embrace remote surgeries a competitive advantage over those left in the OR.

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