Medical device industry poised to withstand an economic slowdown, experts say

While procedures volumes may decline, analysts said the effects likely won’t reach levels seen in 2020 or during the Great Recession.

Medical device companies are poised to weather an economic slowdown even as they continue to face hurdles linked to the pandemic such as persistent supply chain woes and staff shortages, analysts say.

While device makers aren’t completely immune to potential recessionary pressures, the industry should be fairly resilient to a deepening downturn, according to Shagun Singh, an RBC Capital Markets analyst.

“I think there are a lot of puts and takes by company to consider,” Singh said. “But there’s definitely a lot of opportunity given that there is the defensive element in healthcare and medtech.”

While economists and politicians debate whether the U.S. has fallen into a recession, indicators suggest the economy is cooling after two straight quarters of declining GDP. Meanwhile, surging inflation and interest rates also are contributing to a slowdown as consumer spending wanes.

Those economic factors may curb consumer spending on devices and result in a drop in nonemergency care, similar to what transpired in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, analysts say.

At the same time, the healthcare environment is considered more insulated — especially since 2008 and 2009 — with more people having insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and stronger safety-net programs like Medicaid expansion.

By Ricky Zipp | MedTech Dive

Image Credit: Getty Images

READ MORE

About Peter Coffaro 477 Articles
A growth-driven and strategic executive, Peter Coffaro commands more than 25 years of progressive management success within the medical device industry. Recognized by the World Journal of Orthopedics, Exponential Healthtech, and MedReps.com as one of the top medical sales influencers in the industry; he has 10 years of combined sales management experience and has held positions as a Director, General Manager, Distributor, and Vice President. Peter has worked for some of the top orthopedic companies in the world - Zimmer, DePuy, and Stryker. He is also the founder of OrthoFeed: a popular blog that covers digital orthopedic news and emerging medical technologies. Peter is a three-time Hall of Fame award winner at Johnson and Johnson and has an extensive background in organizational development, business development, sales management, digital marketing, and professional education. Peter holds a B.S. degree in Biology and Chemistry from Northern Illinois University.

1 Comment

  1. Quite comical … You had to put a plug in for the disastrous Obamacare which has decimated healthcare delivery and the wider American economy. Being in the clinical trenches everyday, I see how disconnected you are from reality.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.