Question 1

What is VACScore?

Accepted Answer

VACScore is an evidence-based scoring platform for medical devices. It collects public regulatory and clinical evidence, evaluates it through a consensus-based AI scoring panel, and produces a composite score (350–850) across six domains. Hospitals and health systems use VACScores to make informed device procurement decisions.

Question 2

How is a VACScore calculated?

Accepted Answer

Multiple independent evaluators analyze public evidence across six domains: Clinical, Safety, Regulatory, Economic, Operational, and Governance. Each produces domain scores; a consensus process compares results and selects the best-supported score per domain. Those domain scores combine into a single composite VACScore, with full evidence citations in every report.

Question 3

What is the score range?

Accepted Answer

VACScores range from 350 to 850. The scale is designed to provide meaningful differentiation across the full spectrum of evidence quality.

Question 4

What are the score bands?

Accepted Answer

Scores are organized into four bands: Exemplary (750–850) indicates strong, convergent evidence across domains. Substantiated (600–749) indicates adequate evidence with minor gaps. Constrained (450–599) indicates limited or mixed evidence. Critically Limited (350–449) indicates insufficient or conflicting evidence.

Question 5

What evidence sources does VACScore use?

Accepted Answer

VACScore uses only public, authoritative sources: regulatory registrations and safety data, peer-reviewed clinical literature, clinical trial registrations, and transparency disclosures. We do not use proprietary or manufacturer-provided data, so scores reflect what the public record shows — not vendor claims.

Question 6

Does VACScore use proprietary or manufacturer-provided data?

Accepted Answer

No. VACScore scores are derived exclusively from public evidence sources. This independence is fundamental to the platform — scores reflect what the public evidence shows, not what manufacturers claim.

Question 7

How frequently is evidence updated?

Accepted Answer

VACScore continuously monitors all evidence sources for new data. When new FDA adverse event reports, safety alerts, clinical trial results, publications, or retractions are detected, affected device scores are re-evaluated and stakeholders are notified.

Question 8

Can I submit evidence for a device?

Accepted Answer

VACScore does not accept user-submitted evidence for scoring. All evidence must come from indexed public sources to maintain independence and auditability. If you believe a public source is missing from our index, contact us and we will evaluate it for inclusion.

Question 9

What does consensus-based scoring mean?

Accepted Answer

Rather than relying on a single algorithm, VACScore runs multiple independent evaluation passes across all evidence. Domain scores from each pass are compared for convergence. An auditor reviews all passes and selects the best-supported result. This panel-reviewed approach guards against individual evaluator bias and produces more reliable scores.

Question 10

How many evaluators score each device?

Accepted Answer

Each device is scored across multiple independent evaluation runs. If scores agree, consensus is reached quickly; if not, additional runs are used until we have a stable, well-supported result. This reduces single-point bias and improves reliability.

Question 11

What happens when evaluators disagree?

Accepted Answer

When scores across runs differ, we run additional evaluations. An auditor then reviews all runs and selects the best-supported score based on evidence quality and citation strength. The process is fully logged for auditability.

Question 12

Can a VACScore change over time?

Accepted Answer

Yes. VACScores are living assessments. When new evidence emerges — a new clinical trial, a safety alert, a recall, or a retracted study — the affected device is re-evaluated and the score is updated. Score history is preserved for auditability.

Question 13

Is VACScore a medical device?

Accepted Answer

No. VACScore is an evidence analysis and reporting platform. It does not diagnose, treat, or make clinical decisions. It provides evidence-based scoring to support procurement evaluation — not clinical use.

Question 14

What are lenses?

Accepted Answer

Lenses are interpretive overlays that contextualize a VACScore for specific programs, regulatory frameworks, or institutional priorities. They highlight which evidence domains and metrics matter most for a given context — for example, which domains are most important for CMS TEAM participation.

Question 15

Do lenses change the score?

Accepted Answer

No. Lenses never change the underlying VACScore. They add a layer of program-specific interpretation on top of it. The same device has the same VACScore regardless of which lens is applied — the lens simply highlights what that score means in a particular context.

Question 16

Which lenses are available?

Accepted Answer

Available lenses include Clinical Guidelines, CMS TEAM (Transforming Episode Accountability Model), BPCI Advanced (Bundled Payments for Care Improvement), and ACO/VBC (Accountable Care Organization / Value-Based Care). Enterprise customers can also work with us to create custom lenses for their specific programs.

Question 17

How do I submit a device for scoring?

Accepted Answer

After setting up your account, you can submit a device by entering its name, manufacturer, or FDA product code. VACScore handles evidence collection, matching, and scoring automatically.

Question 18

How long does scoring take?

Accepted Answer

Initial scoring typically completes within minutes. Complex devices with extensive evidence histories may take longer due to additional evaluation runs required for consensus convergence.

Question 19

What information do I need to submit a device?

Accepted Answer

At minimum, you need the device name and manufacturer. Providing the FDA product code or 510(k)/PMA number improves evidence matching accuracy and speeds up the process.

Question 20

How much does VACScore cost?

Accepted Answer

VACScore offers tiered pricing based on the number of device scores, lens access, and support level. Visit our pricing page or contact our sales team for details tailored to your organization.

Frequently Asked Questions

About VACScore

Evidence & Data

Scoring

Lenses

Getting Started