What You Need to Know
Over the last few years, the urodynamics (UDS) industry has faced a significant shift as new competitors have entered the market, challenging long-standing monopolies. As a result, “lockouts” have become more common, aiming to eliminate the competition, which drives up costs and stifles innovation. It’s crucial for today’s healthcare providers to understand the impact of these lockouts, as they can affect not just the affordability, but the accessibility of essential urodynamics diagnostic tools.
What is a Urodynamics “Lockout”?
A urodynamics “lockout” refers to a tactic used by some companies to restrict compatibility between your choice of urodynamics systems and consumables. Historically, air-charged urodynamics catheters were designed to be system-agnostic, ensuring open compatibility across urodynamics systems from multiple manufacturers. However, some companies have introduced lockout tactics that deliberately remove this built-in compatibility, forcing healthcare providers to purchase only their approved catheter-type, often at a significantly higher cost. There are two primary types of “lockouts”:
With this type of “lockout”, a handheld scanner must be used to scan the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip on your catheters before starting each study; only approved catheters, typically from the system’s manufacturer, can be used. If the RFID chip isn’t scanned, the system won’t function, and you won’t be able to start and complete the study.
Catheters with Proprietary Luer Connectors
Unlike standard luer-lock connectors, which are universally compatible, a unique connector design allows only a specific catheter to be used with their UDS system. Without this specific connector, only provided by your manufacturer, the catheter will not connect to your UDS system to run a study.
Implications of Urodynamic Lockouts
The implications of these “lockouts” are significant for both healthcare providers and their patients:
- Delays in patient care: Unresolved technical issues due to scanner failures force healthcare providers to cancel or reschedule patient appointments, negatively impacting practice revenues.
- Increased operational costs: Frequent scanner malfunctions force practitioners to scan extra (beyond the 2 typically required for a urodynamics study) catheters, leading to higher costs for the practice.
- Higher consumables costs: Urodynamics systems that require bar coded catheters and/or proprietary luer connectors allow suppliers to charge higher prices which translate to higher costs for the practice.
- Supply chain limitations: Forced dependency on a single supplier or brand can cause problems if there are supply delays or stock shortages, which are not uncommon.
Overall, lockouts can significantly increase costs, create supply chain issues, and limit your choices, ultimately demonstrating the importance of careful and transparent planning when choosing your urodynamics set-up.
As a trusted partner in urodynamics, we’re here to help. Contact us to learn more about the lockouts and how to navigate them.