In 2020, Canada spent 12.9 percent of its GDP on healthcare, of which 3 percent was on medical devices. Early adoption of innovative surgical devices is mostly driven by physicians and delaying adoption can deprive patients of important medical treatments. This study aimed to identify the criteria in Canada used to decide on the adoption of a surgical device and identify challenges and opportunities.

This scoping review was guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis and PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. The search strategy included Canada’s provinces, different surgical fields, and adoption. Embase, Medline, and provincial databases were searched. Grey literature was also searched. Data were analyzed by reporting the criteria that were used for technology adoption. Finally, a thematic analysis by subthematic categorization was conducted to arrange the criteria found.

Overall, 155 studies were found. Seven were hospital-specific studies and 148 studies were from four provinces with publicly available Web sites for technology assessment committees (Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec). Seven main themes of criteria were identified: economic, hospital-specific, technology-specific, patients/public, clinical outcomes, policies and procedures, and physician specific. However, standardization and specific weighted criteria for decision making in the early adoption stage of novel technologies are lacking in Canada.

Specific criteria for decision making in the early adoption stage of novel surgical technologies are lacking. These criteria need to be identified, standardized, and applied in order to provide innovative, and the most effective healthcare to Canadians.