medical devices

Building a Case for Medical Device Interoperability

By Bakul Patel – As Yoda might say: build a case for interoperability, we must. While we may not have yet realized the technological accomplishments of Yoda’s advanced world, today connectivity shows great promise for the future. From blood pressure to brain scans, today’s health care allows for the rapid transfer and use of information between and among different medical devices.


Health IT and the OIG Work Plan

By Matt Fisher – The annual OIG Work Plan was published on November 2nd. The Work Plan each year identifies what the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services will review and provides insight into what the OIG contemplates as risk areas.


The Case for Quality

By Howard Sklamberg, J.D., Jeffrey Shuren, M.D., J.D., & Melinda K. Plaisier, M.S.W. – Across FDA, we are devoting tremendous effort, in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders, toward activities that drive–and increase–product and manufacturing quality.


Why Partnerships are Key to the Science of Patient Input

By Nina L. Hunter PhD & Robert M. Califf MD – We recently announced the first FDA Patient Engagement Advisory Committee (PEAC), supported by the Center of Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH). The Committee will provide advice to the FDA Commissioner on complex issues relating to medical devices, the regulation of devices, and their use by patients.



OpenFDA Makes Medical Device-Related Data Easier to Access and Use

By Taha Kass-Hout, Roselie A. Bright & Ann Ferriter – OpenFDA is releasing information on medical devices that could spur innovation and advance scientific research. OpenFDA’s Application Programming Interface (API) expands on the previous openFDA resources concerning medical device-related adverse events and recalls by incorporating information from the medical device product life cycle.


The Security of Medical Devices

By John Halamka MD – Last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised hospitals not to use Hospira’s Symbiq infusion system, concluding that a security vulnerability enables hackers to take remote control of the system. The agency issued the advisory some 10 days after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned of the vulnerability in the pump.