By Cheri
DiagnosisPR has made the trek to sweltering Fort Lauderdale to report on the latest trends in the broad field of infection control from the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Annual Conference. This year’s show was kicked-off by an inspiring keynote presentation from Benjamin S. Carson, MD of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions about turning challenges into triumphs. The audience walked away with new strategies for succesful infection prevention and control programs. With guidelines in place from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid where some hospital-acquired conditions are deemed non-reimbursable, infection control is top of mind for infection control specialists and the C-suite alike. Stay tuned for more coverage from APIC!
June 8th, 2009
By Jackie
Medical device companies rejoiced last week after the FDA released a report claiming faster review processes and approvals of medical devices than ever before. When compared to 2005, the regulation agency decreased its review time by a noteworthy 24 percent, from 438 days in 2005 to 335 days in 2006. According to a recent Reuters article, the agency attributes the significant progress to a 2002 law designed to streamline the FDA review process and establish review time goals.
The regulating body, established in 1937 to protect public health, has maintained a large cohort of critics who claim that the long review process inevitably stifles medical innovation in the U.S. With an inarguably tough job, the FDA is responsible for ensuring the complete safety of all drugs, devices, biological products and more, while simultaneously helping to speed innovations that enable medicines to be safer, more effective and affordable. All in a day’s work…or rather 335 days.
Seems like a catch 22 to me. I think it’s safe to say that most Americans would prefer to wait for the FDA “stamp of approval,” historically synonymous with safety and efficacy, than to risk their own health with questionable medical technologies. That said, we are fortunate to live in a country bursting with cutting-edge advancements that have the potential to diagnose, treat and cure a range of medical conditions and diseases. And I think most patients would agree that access to those technologies can’t come fast enough.
Although the new device review process still averages nearly one year, the question remains: are we really ready to sacrifice safety in the name of medical innovation? Perhaps the responsibility of balancing safety with innovation lies largely in the hands of both Congress and device/drug manufacturers. As the FDA continues to receive the funds and resources it needs to efficiently and effectively complete the review process, we’ll likely continue to see decreases in the turnaround time to bring these often life-saving technologies to hospitals nationwide.
July 2nd, 2008
By Lynda
While June sparks the start of the summer and school vacations, it also marks the halfway point of the year. Ok, ok – so while we don’t need a countdown to the holiday season just yet, it might be time to reflect on the first half of 2008 – major milestones, medical breakthroughs, etc, but also think critically about the next half of the year.
Businessweek recently published an article, “The Cutting Edge of Health Care”, to examine the upcoming medical innovations we can expect from the health care industry. The article narrows a list down to eight innovations that they predict will have a large impact on the practice of medicine. Highlights include:
E-Care – The evolution to digital health records
Predictive/Preventive Care – Advanced diagnostic tools/genetic research that will be able to pinpoint which diseases we are most susceptible to; thereby customizing treatment plans
Culturally Adapted Treatment – Using the knowledge of culture and various demographic factors to change health and wellness behavior/treatments
It will be interesting to follow the medical innovations behind culturally adapted treatment – as almost every day there is a C.D.C report warning Americans our diets, exercise routines and general lifestyles are leaving us prone to serious health conditions – including today’s report that revealed Americans with diabetes has increased by 15 percent.
Read the Businessweek article and review the full list of major innovations in health care, do you agree with their list? What will support innovation in health care in 2008? What are the barriers?
June 25th, 2008
