The Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) wants the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to understand that medical device manufacturers need clarity on the FDA’s heightened focus on real-world evidence (RWE).

The FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) provided a glowing self-assessment in a recent report. The CDRH met its 2016 strategic objectives for several initiatives pertaining to medical device manufacturers.

People have touted the potential of big data and computation in medicine for what feels like decades, promising more effective and personalized treatments, new research discoveries, and smarter clinical predictions. But only recently have these technologies made it to the clinic, where they can actually improve patient care.

The word “prism” might make you think of a triangular piece of glass that separates white light into a rainbow of colors. But at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it means a powerful, computer-based system that separates critical bits of information from vast streams of healthcare data in order to investigate adverse events and determine if there is a connection to a specific vaccine.

It is well known that small business is vital to the success of the U.S. economy. Less known, though, is how instrumental it has been to the growth and innovation in drug development.

On our most recent episode of QDL from this past Fri., April 14, 2017, we took a close look at innovation and engineering. Here’s a quick recap:

The most astute executives in health systems are rightfully concerned about compliance risks in physician contracting. Among these risks are that a transaction or an arrangement between a hospital and a physician are consistent with fair market value (FMV) and are commercially reasonable (CR) as those terms are defined in the healthcare regulatory context.

Quality management, always an FDA focus during inspections, could become even more important in 2017 as FDA priorities take shape.

If you’re in the business of developing medical devices, then risk and risk management become terms synonymous with your daily operations. Your overall task is to bring a device to market that not only provides a needed function to a patient, but is also proven to be safe to use—maybe even used by someone who is near and dear to you.