Everard Munting, president of EUROSPINE, talks about the growing need for an international approach to information sharing in the field of spinal surgery.
Spinal surgery has come a long way since Hippocrates proposed the first traction procedure in 390 BC. The challenges the medical fraternity faced back then were very different to those clinicians are addressing now.
Today we live in a world that often seems to place less emphasis on movement and activity than ever before and the impact on spinal health is evident to anyone working in this field.
The pandemic has only exacerbated the problem.
Research by Ofcom found adults in the UK during the lockdowns have been spending more than 40 per cent of their waking day on their devices, a trend echoed throughout the world.
This, along with our ageing population, will only contribute to the continuing issues patients experience with neck and spinal health.
Driving innovation
On the plus side, there have been huge advances made over the last four decades in minimally invasive surgical techniques. A report by Allied Market Research projects the global spinal implants and devices market will increase to over $15 billion by 2027.
This is a highly competitive market with new technologies and products being pioneered and developed all the time to increase market share and improve patient health and mobility.
However, at the moment, it’s hard for practitioners to independently determine which procedures with or without implantable devices might work best for individual patients and why. Concern about possible complications is a major worry for patients, their families and the medical profession.
But the pandemic has taught us there is a simple way to develop practices and get the right help to patients more quickly.
A global understanding
Covid-19 underlined the importance of sharing real-world evidence on the impact of health issues in the population and escalated the development of effective treatments and a vaccine.
Pooling health data on a global scale has resulted in multiple vaccinations being developed in record time and informed techniques used in intensive care, which for some patients has meant the difference between life and death.
Could it be time for a more collaborative approach to driving innovation in our specialism?
There’s a growing case for introducing an effective way for clinicians, manufacturers, health insurances – private and public – and medical regulators to amalgamate and share their collective knowledge to increase patient safety and mitigate concern.
The danger of working in siloes
The Cumberlege Review threw a spotlight on the negative impact of information siloes across healthcare and called for an end to disjointed working in the sector. A key point emphasised in the report was that better information sharing leads to better decision making and improved patient safety.
As a result, it’s now widely accepted that sharing data on a national basis is essential, as it allows doctors and surgeons to see which treatments and devices work best for which type of patient.
However, there could be even greater advantage to taking this a step further and encouraging