June 3, 2019. Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML)-based software device that incorporates special computer techniques (algorithms) capable of detecting relevant medical patterns from large amounts of data. These very sophisticated pattern recognition capabilities (AI/ML) have broad potential healthcare applications, including making recommendations to healthcare providers and patients about the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, or prevention of disease.1 The complexity, scalability, and broad scope of these new technologies thus raise important issues regarding their safety and effectiveness as it pertains to patients’ health.
Read More »We’re Speaking Out on Health Issues
NCHR scientists and health policy experts provide written and oral statements on a wide range of topics.
Here are many of the ways we have been Speaking Out on Health Policy Issues for the last few years. Whether the topic is legislation intended to cure diseases, proposed bans on BPA or other chemicals that disrupt your hormones, the importance of including women, people of color, and patients over 65 in clinical trials, or many other topics, you’ll gain a better understanding of our evidence-based analyses by reading these letters, statements, and testimony.
Here are the ways we have been Speaking out on Medical Treatments and Products, such as prescription drugs and medical devices that the FDA is considering approving, or is considering taking off the market because of serious risks. Whether the topic is Chantix, Addyi, Yaz, Essure, or medical products you’ve never heard of, you can find out more about what is known and not known about the safety and effectiveness of a wide range of products by looking through this section of our website.
NCRH Testimony on Reclassification of Collagen-Based Hemostatic Devices
May 31, 2019. The safety and effectiveness of new devices needs to be established before they are approved. Approval of products without this evidence puts patients at risk for unnecessary harm. Adequate and well-controlled clinical trials are the best way to establish that the benefits outweigh the risks for patients needing collagen-based hemostatic devices.
Read More »NCHR Comments on FDA’s Reclassification of Surgical Staplers
May 30, 2019. Thousands of adverse events associated with surgical staplers had been hidden from patients and physicians prior to the March 2019 Kaiser Health News expose. Such devices must be better regulated and monitored.
Read More »NCHR Testimony at FDA at the Onolcogy Drugs Advisory Committee Meeting on Quizartinib
May 14, 2019. We need new treatments for this deadly disease, but we need to know if a new drug is BETTER than existing treatments. The fact that Quizartinib is quite similar in risks and benefits to chemo, which is not very effective and provides a poor quality of life, is not a good reason to approve this drug.
Read More »NCHR Comments on Modernizing FDA’s 510(k) Program
May 22, 2019. The 510(k) pathway system is flawed, and should be replaced with pathways that require controlled clinical trials for all implanted devices and many other devices as well. Meanwhile, safety can be improved with our recommendations.
Read More »