Selling to Integrated Care Systems: What health tech vendors need to know

ICS health tech

The emergence of integrated care systems (ICSs) is transforming the UK healthcare landscape. As ICSs take on greater responsibility for population health management and service delivery, they are becoming key decision-makers in health technology procurement and implementation.

For health tech vendors, understanding the evolving role of ICSs is critical to aligning solutions with NHS priorities and building successful partnerships. In this article, we’ll demystify ICS structures, explore their technology needs, and provide practical guidance on engaging with ICS stakeholders effectively.

The Integrated Care System landscape

Integrated care systems are partnerships that bring together providers and commissioners of NHS services with local authorities and other local partners, to collectively plan and integrate care to meet the needs of their population. There are currently 42 ICSs covering the entirety of England, each serving between 500,000 and 3 million people.

ICSs are responsible for setting strategic direction, managing resources, and coordinating services across primary care, secondary care, mental health, social care, and public health. They aim to deliver more joined-up, preventative, and personalised care, while improving population health outcomes and reducing inequalities.

To achieve these goals, ICSs require robust digital infrastructure and innovative technology solutions that enable data sharing, care coordination, and service transformation. Health tech vendors have a vital role to play in supporting ICSs on this journey – but navigating the complex ICS landscape can be challenging.

Understanding ICS priorities and decision-making

Each ICS has its own unique population health needs, strategic objectives, and digital maturity. To engage effectively with ICSs, health tech vendors must understand these local nuances and align their solutions accordingly.

Start by researching the ICS’s key priorities and challenges. Review their published plans, board papers, and public engagement materials to gain insights into their strategic direction, service improvement initiatives, and technology roadmap. Identify areas where your solution can add value and support their objectives.

Next, map out the ICS’s decision-making structures and key stakeholders. ICSs typically have a board, which sets overall strategy and direction, as well as an executive team responsible for day-to-day operations. Engage with relevant decision-makers such as the chief information officer, chief clinical information officer, and digital transformation leads.

Building relationships and demonstrating value

Successfully selling to ICSs requires building trust-based relationships and demonstrating tangible value. Engage with ICS stakeholders early in their decision-making process, ideally before formal procurement begins. Offer insights, expertise, and thought leadership that positions your organisation as a strategic partner rather than just a supplier.

Develop compelling case studies and evidence that showcase how your solution has delivered measurable benefits in similar contexts. Highlight outcomes such as improved patient experience, reduced costs, increased efficiency, and better population health management. Be prepared to articulate a clear return on investment.

Consider partnering with other suppliers or local organisations to offer integrated, end-to-end solutions that address ICS’s holistic needs. Collaborating with trusted partners can enhance your credibility and provide opportunities to access wider networks and decision-makers.

Aligning with interoperability and open standards

Interoperability is a key priority for ICSs as they seek to enable seamless data sharing across care settings. Health tech vendors must ensure their solutions adhere to open standards like HL7 FHIR and have robust APIs for data exchange.

Embrace a modular, platform-based approach that allows your solution to integrate easily with existing systems and adapt to evolving needs. Be transparent about your technology architecture, data models and integration capabilities.

Highland Marketing helped Orion Health, a global provider of integrated digital care solutions, raise brand awareness and align with key government initiatives in the UK market. Through targeted PR and thought leadership, we positioned Orion Health as experts in integrated care, generating coverage in publications like The Guardian, OnMedica and digitalhealth.net.

Engaging with ICS innovation and transformation teams

Many ICSs have dedicated innovation and transformation teams that scout for new technologies and pilot innovative solutions. Engaging proactively with these teams can provide valuable opportunities to showcase your offering, gather feedback, and build advocacy within the ICS.

Participate in ICS innovation forums, challenges, and events to raise your profile and demonstrate your expertise. Offer to run pilot projects or proof-of-concepts that test your solution in real-world settings and generate evidence of impact.

Looking to accelerate sales cycles and build a qualified pipeline of ICS prospects? Our sales acceleration services can help you identify key decision-makers, secure meetings and drive commercial outcomes.

Supporting ICS’s workforce and digital skills development

As ICSs implement new technologies, they need to ensure their workforce has the digital skills and capabilities to use them effectively. Health tech vendors can add value by providing comprehensive training, support, and change management services alongside their solutions.

Offer flexible training options like e-learning, video tutorials, and on-site workshops to cater to different learning needs and preferences. Provide ongoing support through helpdesks, forums, and knowledge bases to ensure smooth adoption and optimised use of your solution.

Partner with ICSs to develop digital champions and super-users who can drive adoption and best practice sharing within their organisations. Supporting ICS’s workforce development demonstrates long-term commitment and value-add beyond just the technology itself.

Measuring and communicating impact

To build long-term partnerships with ICSs, health tech vendors must be able to measure and communicate the impact of their solutions over time. Work with ICSs to define clear success metrics and key performance indicators that align with their strategic objectives.

Implement robust data analytics and reporting capabilities that provide ICSs with real-time insights into solution usage, performance, and outcomes. Use this data to optimise your solution, demonstrate value, and inform continuous improvement.

Share success stories and learnings with the wider ICS community through case studies, presentations, and publications. Collaborating with ICSs to disseminate best practices helps to build your reputation as a trusted partner and thought leader in the integrated care space.

Highland Marketing helped Alcidion, a smart health tech provider, launch their Miya Precision platform in the UK through a targeted PR and thought leadership campaign. By engaging with key publications and opinion leaders, we positioned Alcidion as experts in providing an ‘orchestration layer’ for integrated care systems. The campaign generated significant interest, leading to multiple contract wins with NHS trusts.

Navigating procurement and contracting

Selling to ICSs also means navigating complex procurement processes and contracting arrangements. Familiarise yourself with the relevant procurement frameworks, such as G-Cloud, Digital Care Services, and Health Systems Support, and ensure your solution is listed where appropriate.

Be prepared to engage in competitive tenders and provide detailed responses that demonstrate your solution’s compliance with technical, security, and interoperability standards. Work closely with ICS procurement teams to understand their specific requirements and tailor your proposal accordingly.

Consider flexible contracting models such as software-as-a-service subscriptions, outcome-based payments, or risk-reward sharing that align with ICS’s budgetary constraints and value-based care objectives. Being open to innovative partnership models can differentiate you from competitors and demonstrate confidence in your solution’s impact.

Key takeaways for engaging with ICSs

The rise of integrated care systems presents significant opportunities for health tech vendors to support the transformation of healthcare delivery in the UK. By understanding ICS priorities, engaging proactively with key stakeholders, and demonstrating alignement with interoperability and workforce development needs, vendors can position themselves as strategic partners in the integrated care journey.

Building successful partnerships with ICSs requires a long-term, value-driven approach that goes beyond just selling technology. By providing comprehensive support, measuring tangible impact, and sharing best practices, health tech vendors can help ICSs achieve their ultimate goal of delivering better, more integrated care to the populations they serve.

Are you a health tech vendor looking to navigate the complex ICS landscape and build successful partnerships? Get in touch with Highland Marketing today to discuss how our expert team can help you develop effective go-to-market strategies, build compelling value propositions, and engage with key ICS decision-makers to drive commercial success.