The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced an online platform called MeDevIS (Medical Devices Information System), the first global open-access clearing house for information on medical devices.
The platform is designed to support governments, regulators, and users in their decision-making on the selection, procurement and use of medical devices for diagnostics, testing and treatment of diseases and health conditions.
“The number of medical technologies used in health care is growing, as is their complexity, which can make it challenging for health care practitioners and patients to navigate,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products. “We aim to provide a one stop shop of international information, which can be invaluable for those making decisions on life-saving medical technologies, especially in resource-limited settings, and to improve access”.
Over 10,000 different medical devices worldwide
The MeDevIS platform includes 2301 types of medical devices used for broad-ranging health issues, including reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes as well as infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
Over 10,000 different medical devices are being used for health issues worldwide, including digital thermometers, medical masks, endoscopes and cardiac stents. However, currently, there are multiple, separate sources for information produced by major international organisations, regulatory bodies, and donor agencies, making it difficult for users to discern and utilise the most reliable data.
Single platform for stakeholders to use
The platform replaces paper-based literature search across multiple publications with non-standard device names which can add to the complexity. It also aims to help make naming medical devices simpler.
MeDevIS references two international naming systems for medical devices – the European Medical Device Nomenclature (EMDN), mostly used in European countries for registration in the European database, and the Global Medical Device Nomenclature (GMDN) used in regulatory agencies in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the USA and other Member States. The naming systems include coding and definitions and can be used in every country to facilitate registration for regulatory approval, procurement and supply, inventories in health facilities, tracking and pricing.
“The MeDevIS platform can be useful for national policy-makers to develop or update their own national lists for the procurement of health technologies and devices and can contribute to the progress towards universal health coverage,” said Dr Deus Mubangizi, WHO Director for Health Products Policy and Standards in the Access to Medicines and Health Products Division. “It can also help agencies in health insurance and reimbursement policies for patients.”
