Barriers for medical devices for the developing world

Analysis of barriers to medical device development in India: an interpretive structural modelling approach

“…Walters et al (2001) conducted series of interviews and identified Clarity of design purpose, insufficient communication between departments and throughout the organisation, lack of experience or expertise in specific areas and the creation of an innovative culture as generic problems restricting effective new product development in the field of medical devices. Malkin (2007) presented unique challenges for medical devices in developing world. According to them, 70 % of the devices coming from developed nations do not work in developing world hospitals.…”

“…Adequate training and experience are known to improve the development time (Lucke et al 2009). Companies provide necessary training but the trained manpower is often lost to ''brain drain'' which refers to the emigration of the experts to the developed countries (Malkin 2007). This makes the companies reluctant to invest in the training and education of the employees.…”

Appropriate Technologies in the Globalized World: FAQs [Commentary]

“…For example, KickStart treadle pumps and irrigation systems are manufactured in China due to cost restrictions [16]. Similarly, biomedical ventures like ClickMedix face cost and quality control barriers when trying to manufacture locally [17]. Despite the additional transportation and logistics fees, outsourcing is sometimes necessary to maintain economic sustainability.…”

Biomedical Engineering Education for Developing Countries

“…Over 95% of medical equipment in public hospitals in developing countries is imported, and much of it is of poor quality and does not meet the needs of the health care facilities using it [18], [19]. A significant gap exists between innovations in health, which usually originate in the developed world, and their delivery to communities in the developing world, largely because their implementation is "untested, unsuitable, or incomplete" [20].…”

“…The appropriateness of technology, its contextualization, and the involvement of its users in design and implementation are more evident in agriculture than in health research on innovation in low-income countries [14]. The mismatch between economic conditions surrounding agricultural product use in designer and user countries, has promoted a design process in which technological design is not considered complete until the product has been adopted [18].…”