The Economic Contribution of Industry-Sponsored Medical Device Clinical Trials to Health Care and Health Research in Alberta

• Author / Creator

  Akpinar, Ayse I

• Background: Although the clinical research in devices has been growing in importance, very little is known regarding their full economic contribution; such as the market price of the device, all clinical services and administrative activities of industry-sponsored medical device trials.
  Purpose: To document the economic value of industry-sponsored clinical studies for medical devices provided to Alberta, Canada.
  Methods: We used the Northern Alberta Clinical Trials and Research Center data to identify all industry-sponsored medical device clinical trials initiated in Northern Alberta from 2012 to 2016. For each trial we calculated the cost of devices provided by the sponsor and the cost of clinical and administrative services that were incurred to operationalize the device clinically. Operationalizing the device within the clinical study abrogates the need for the public payer to carry this cost. We extrapolated these results to all trials in Alberta based on information obtained from the registration website ClinicalTrials.gov.
  Results: Our sample consisted of 23 device trials which were initiated between January, 2012 and January 2016, and followed up until January 2018. The monetary value of the industries’ contribution was C$368,261 per trial. Devices accounted for 55% of the total contribution of this cost. Extrapolated, the total province-wide contribution was estimated to be C$18 million. This benefit to society would be paid for publicly without the medical device clinical study.
  Conclusion: Economic aspects of industry-sponsored CTs for medical devices has been largely ignored. As economic evaluation activities grow in importance, it will be important to recognize the economic aspects of clinical studies of medical devices, including those resulting in savings to public and private sectors. The monetary values presented in this study can inform the creation of new financial and regulatory public policies, and encourage health regions to strengthen their market in collaboration with industry partners.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Economic Contribution
  • Medical Device
  • Clinical Trial

• Graduation date

  Fall 2018

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3NP1X10N

• License

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