August 27, 2020 — In Canada, over 700,000 hospitalizations and day surgeries were related to 12 implantable medical device (IMD) procedures in 2018–2019. IMD procedures have a wide range of applications, including hip and knee replacement surgeries, to help restore functioning and reduce pain. The demand for IMDs is influenced by the rising burden of chronic disease, the growing senior population and technological advancements that make new devices possible. As the number of IMDs in use rises, data is needed to inform best practices and enable future research on this emerging topic.
Describing the volumes and costs for this set of procedures is an important first step in understanding the current state in Canada.
Our report provides insights into high-volume IMD procedures and associated costs using pan-Canadian hospitalization and day surgery data.
Note: The following data and findings reflect the most recent information available from the 2018–2019 data cycle before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key findings
- There were 706,952 hospitalizations and day surgeries in 2018–2019. A higher proportion of IMD procedures were for seniors and women.
- The estimated total hospital cost of the 12 IMD procedures was $3.7 billion in 2018–2019. Despite having lower volumes of IMD procedures, higher costs were incurred from inpatient hospitalizations ($2.8 billion) compared with day surgeries ($872 million).
- IMD procedure rates across the country vary, with different procedure rates observed between provinces and territories and by type of IMD.
- Future strategies — such as implementing the capture of barcoded information on medical devices and collecting linkable, patient-level product information — could help to fill in data gaps.
Featured resources
Implantable Medical Devices in Canada: Insights Into High-Volume Procedures and Associated Costs
Explore our report to learn more about high-volume IMD procedures and associated costs using pan-Canadian hospitalization and day surgery data.