Quantifying innovation in surgery
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Objectives:
The objectives of this study were to assess the applicability of patents and publications as metrics of surgical technology and innovation; evaluate the historical relationship between patents and publications; develop a methodology that can be used to determine the rate of innovation growth in any given health care technology.
Background:
The study of health care innovation represents an emerging academic field, yet it is limited by a lack of valid scientific methods for quantitative analysis. This article explores and cross-validates 2 innovation metrics using surgical technology as an exemplar.
Methods:
Electronic patenting databases and the MEDLINE database were searched between 1980 and 2010 for “surgeon” OR “surgical” OR “surgery.” Resulting patent codes were grouped into technology clusters. Growth curves were plotted for these technology clusters to establish the rate and characteristics of growth.
Results:
The initial search retrieved 52,046 patents and 1,801,075 publications. The top performing technology cluster of the last 30 years was minimally invasive surgery. Robotic surgery, surgical staplers, and image guidance were the most emergent technology clusters. When examining the growth curves for these clusters they were found to follow an S-shaped pattern of growth, with the emergent technologies lying on the exponential phases of their respective growth curves. In addition, publication and patent counts were closely correlated in areas of technology expansion.
Conclusions:
This article demonstrates the utility of publically available patent and publication data to quantify innovations within surgical technology and proposes a novel methodology for assessing and forecasting areas of technological innovation.
The objectives of this study were to assess the applicability of patents and publications as metrics of surgical technology and innovation; evaluate the historical relationship between patents and publications; develop a methodology that can be used to determine the rate of innovation growth in any given health care technology.
Background:
The study of health care innovation represents an emerging academic field, yet it is limited by a lack of valid scientific methods for quantitative analysis. This article explores and cross-validates 2 innovation metrics using surgical technology as an exemplar.
Methods:
Electronic patenting databases and the MEDLINE database were searched between 1980 and 2010 for “surgeon” OR “surgical” OR “surgery.” Resulting patent codes were grouped into technology clusters. Growth curves were plotted for these technology clusters to establish the rate and characteristics of growth.
Results:
The initial search retrieved 52,046 patents and 1,801,075 publications. The top performing technology cluster of the last 30 years was minimally invasive surgery. Robotic surgery, surgical staplers, and image guidance were the most emergent technology clusters. When examining the growth curves for these clusters they were found to follow an S-shaped pattern of growth, with the emergent technologies lying on the exponential phases of their respective growth curves. In addition, publication and patent counts were closely correlated in areas of technology expansion.
Conclusions:
This article demonstrates the utility of publically available patent and publication data to quantify innovations within surgical technology and proposes a novel methodology for assessing and forecasting areas of technological innovation.
Date Issued
2014-08-01
Date Acceptance
2014-08-01
Citation
Annals of Surgery, 2014, 260 (2), pp.205-211
ISSN
1528-1140
Publisher
Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Start Page
205
End Page
211
Journal / Book Title
Annals of Surgery
Volume
260
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2014 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. This is not the final published version. See the published article 'Quantifying innovation in surgery' in Annals of Surgery 2014 260(2):205-11. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000000662. http://journals.lww.com/annalsofsurgery/Abstract/2014/08000/Quantifying_Innovation_in_Surgery.3.aspx
Sponsor
St Mary s Hospital Urological Research and Educational Trust
National Institute for Health Research
Identifier
https://journals.lww.com/annalsofsurgery/Abstract/2014/08000/Quantifying_Innovation_in_Surgery.3.aspx
Grant Number
N/A
NF-SI-0510-10186
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Surgery
diffusion of innovation
innovation
surgery
technology
FORECASTING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
HEALTH
DIFFUSION
ADOPTION
Diffusion of Innovation
Humans
Surgical Procedures, Operative
Humans
Surgical Procedures, Operative
Diffusion of Innovation
Surgery
11 Medical and Health Sciences
Publication Status
Published