Amidst all the noise about healthcare in the United States, a quiet revolution is reshaping the industry. Care delivery is migrating from inpatient (IP) to outpatient (OP) settings at an accelerating pace. But just because care migration is taking place without much fanfare doesn’t mean device manufacturers should ignore it. Indeed, as this trend continues, manufacturers need to take decisive steps to serve this new customer segment, or they may pay a price.

Hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and ambulatory care centers (ASCs) are operationally very different from in-patient facilities and present their own set of unmet needs. Those needs represent an emerging market opportunity, and manufacturers need to understand the nuances of this evolving industry to build long-term, sustainable strategies.