Today’s surgical robots are very expensive pieces of equipment requiring a capital expenditure that can limit a hospital’s ability to afford one. Creating a have and have-not condition, these surgical robots result in business dynamics that have the potential to influence medical decisions. For example, the decision to refer some procedures to a larger hospital. The price of such large capital purchases also puts more pressure on equipment utilization to cost-justify.
Rethinking the way, surgical robots are procured today can substantially influence the ability of hospitals to acquire one, assist surgeons with minimally invasive surgery, and improve patient satisfaction.

Today’s cloud-based computing and infrastructures have shifted to more of a pay-as-you-go model and offering “everything-as-a-service.” Businesses today no longer must purchase expensive computer equipment to host enterprise applications, such as those for finance and accounting, customer relationship management, or data analytics.

This same dynamic could apply to surgical robots. Of course, there is real hardware, but what if we could charge per patient usage pricing models with no capital expense outlay? What if, a from-the-ground-up design made surgical robots inherently less expensive to produce? What if, maintenance was also factored into usage, thereby lowering fixed costs, and reducing the need for hospitals to have trained personnel? What if the robots were designed for lowing surgical procedural costs to begin with?

Device manufacturers recoup their costs through increased use of their systems. In addition, the choices for the healthcare sector will no longer be limited to “one price fits all” offerings. Each case can be priced out according to what the surgeon chooses to utilize.

Surgery-as-a-Service models democratize access to advanced technologies among healthcare providers. Local, community hospitals and Ambulatory Surgery Centers can have access to the latest equipment and newest technologies.