Biomet: A personalised approach to orthopaedic healthcare

Source: Healthcare Digital

Date :01/12/2008 00:00:00

Continual development of high quality, clinically proven products, together with its emphasis on education, ensures that Biomet remains a trusted and leading figure in the orthopaedic market

Written by Ian Armitage and Produced by Paul Radbourne

The Biomet Europe Group is headquartered in Dordrecht, The Netherlands, and represented by subsidiaries in 20 European countries. It belongs to the Biomet Group, which is active on a worldwide basis, and specialises in the development, production and marketing of products for the therapy of bone and soft tissue diseases, including joint replacement, trauma, spine, cementing systems and biomaterials.

The Group was formed in 1977 by four young entrepreneurs with a clear vision for a “unique, service-oriented orthopaedic company.” The ultimate goal was to provide “orthopaedic surgeons and their patients with the highest quality, most clinically proven products in the marketplace”. To do so, they focused on consistently responding to the needs of their customers.

“Biomet is still highly focused on these values, working in partnership with medical professionals to develop innovative solutions,” says Russell Mably, Director – European Marketing. “We also play our part in ensuring that patients receive the best treatment possible, resulting in increased patient satisfaction, and an improved medical outcome.

“An important part of our mission is to support medical professionals, believing corners can never be cut when delivering long term clinical excellence,” adds Mably. With this approach, it is no wonder Biomet is one of the leaders in the medical device field.

“Biomet has always been a decentralised entrepreneurial organisation, which has allowed us to react to needs of our local customers and has engendered a creative and responsive work style,” he adds. “Although we have become a very big company, and despite the marketplace continually evolving, we have aligned ourselves with the market and our customers’ needs.

“The end result is a customer focused personalised service.”

BEST FOR PURPOSE

The continual development of high quality, clinically proven products, together with an emphasis on education, ensures that Biomet remains a trusted leading figure in the orthopaedic market.

“That’s important because it is a tough market,” says Mably. “Let me give you an insight into that market – it is commoditising,” he adds. “Political and economic pressures mean, often, products simply have to be ‘fit for purpose’. If products tick that box, they are good enough.

“We don’t accept that. At Biomet we will never lose sight of the fact that the final customer is the patient. We want to provide the patient with the best possible chance of their implant lasting a lifetime, with the least amount of trauma and the best possible functional outcome. We achieve this in partnership with our customers.

“We like to think of not ‘Fit for Purpose’ but ‘Best for Purpose’ as this gives us the determination to constantly improve our products,” Mably says.

A UNIQUE SERVICE

This focus on a more personable approach means Biomet is well positioned to evolve alongside the ever-changing orthopaedic market.

“At the end of the day, our aim is to differentiate ourselves from the competition,” says Mably. “The way to stand out in a crowd is to offer something unique to our customers.

“We do that. We address true clinical needs. Our new product development pipeline is very much focused on addressing outstanding issues in orthopaedics. We, of course, develop those in collaboration with surgeons. We further differentiate ourselves through a patient pathway programme – called the Rapid Recovery Programme – that concentrates on the safe and effective use of Biomet implants.

“The programme focuses on helping surgeons and other medical professionals communicate, educate, and condition their patients for their pending surgery. That is hugely beneficial to all involved.”

Biomet certainly has a unique way of looking at things. The whole culture of the organisation is one of an entrepreneurial company that allows people to think on a lateral basis.

“Do we go to market and differentiate through cost?” asks Mably, “No, we don’t. That is not what we are about. What we give is added value that supports our clinically proven products and delivers a much more beneficial experience for the patient, surgeon and in fact the hospital.”

As a result of having multiple development sites around Europe, Biomet has a local flavour in it’s approach to business. “This gives us more flexibility,” admits Mably. “We can therefore react quickly to the market and customer needs.

“I don’t think any other company in orthopaedics has that flexibility anymore,” he adds. “If you look at the major competitors that exist within the orthopaedic market, the majority of them develop their products for a global audience and don’t have the flexibility to react or develop to local needs.”

This is certainly a personalised approach to orthopaedic healthcare. As if to reinforce that fact, the firm’s corporate website states: “Over one million times a year, Biomet products help one surgeon provide personalised care to one patient.”