Washington—There's no shortage of new ideas and talent devoted to the development and improvement of medical devices for tackling clinical problems. But getting them to patients can be a tedious, highly risky business.
There are uncertainties over financial support. There are difficulties in mounting clinical trials. While the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) device regulations have been streamlined recently, there is still room for improvement. And the device industry is plagued by a reimbursement system that is fractionated, unpredictable, and inconsistent.
Speakers from industry and academic device developers voiced these conclusions during a workshop on "Innovation and Invention in Medical Devices," held late last month by the Institute of Medicine.
INNOVATION STILL FLOURISHES
Despite the problems, it was clear from the reports that innovation and invention are alive and well. Some examples of new solutions to old problems follow:
