Early adopters say breast tomosynthesis is not only catching more cancers, it’s delivering a return on investment, too.
By Marianne Matthews
Not so long ago, an imaging provider in the Washington, DC area spent considerable time assessing the prices of a luxury pedicure at various spas in his community. No, he wasn’t shopping for gift cards for his staff. He was trying to determine what he could reasonably charge for a breast tomosynthesis exam.
When you’re the first on your block with a new technology, it’s tough to know just how to price it, especially when patients will most likely be paying out-of-pocket. For that DC provider, the magic number turned out to be $50—the same amount of money women were apparently willing to shell out for a pampering pedicure in his not particularly affluent neighborhood. As it turns out, $50 is also the average price tag other early adopters of breast tomosynthesis have been charging in their respective and diverse communities, according to Monique Rasband, director of research and author of a recent KLAS report, “Breast Tomosynthesis 2013: The Business Case.”
While mammography has long been the gold standard, the women’s imaging community has known for some time about the clinical benefits of tomosynthesis. But between expensive equipment, lack of reimbursement, and the tough economic climate, the question is: Is it worth the investment?
That’s why KLAS Research interviewed 50 Hologic tomosynthesis customers from 44 unique organizations that have been using the technology for at least 1 year.
“I was really adamant that they were not still in the honeymoon phase, and we’re not just talking about a sexy new product,” said Rasband. “We really wanted to get to the nitty-gritty of ROI by talking to people who had been doing it for a calendar year, so that we got good data.”
According to the KLAS report, all but one of the providers interviewed said they would buy tomosynthesis again, and 90% said they are achieving a positive ROI. But here’s the interesting part. ROI is not a result of traditional reimbursement or even patient fees—only 14 of the 44 surveyed said they were charging. Many of the hospitals, according to Rasband, are not charging at all. Rather, providers said tomosyntheisis is indirectly building their bottom line because they are experiencing fewer false-positive callbacks and they’re attracting more new patients. In fact, 89% who said they are getting a positive ROI said the technology has garnered new patients and referrals.
“The ROI is beginning to be consumer-driven,” said Rasband. Simply put, women are excited about it, talking about it and driving demand. Some learn about tomosynthesis from their family practitioner or GYN, especially if they are high risk. But once they have a personal experience, they’re spreading the word to other women. What’s more, Rasband said “volumes of everything seem to be going up” at the facilities that provided information for the report. As she points out, it makes sense because women typically make the health care decisions for the entire family. So if a woman has a positive patient experience with tomosynthesis, she may well send her husband to the same facility for a knee MRI.
Will the good times continue? The KLAS report acknowledges that there is some question about what will happen to ROI when the market is saturated.
It’s great news that more and more women are gaining access to tomosynthesis and often at the price of a pedicure. However, for providers looking to enter the space, it’s going to cost a pretty penny upfront. But you’re not just investing in equipment, you’re investing in the female market. And so far, she’s well worth it.
****
Providers can receive a complementary copy of the KLAS report by contacting Monique Rasband at [email protected]
