The Advanced Medical Technology Association and its European counterpart, the European Medical Technology Industry Association, have signed a joint agreement to establish common ethical standards for interactions between medical technology companies and healthcare professionals. You can read about the agreement by clicking here.
The medical device industry certainly needs to learn more when it comes to ethical practices.
Interestingly, the industry talks about ethical dealings with healthcare professionals. I suppose they are talking about golf, food, and questionable honorariums.
Group purchasing organizations or GPOs, hospitals, and clinics are the real consumers of medical devices. The device manufactures do not want to sell to informed buyers. Today they still try to hide their prices through strict confidentiality agreements. They continue to try to use medical professionals to influence purchasing decisions. This unethical behavior costs patients and the government millions of dollars.
It is time we push for real price transparency. Healthcare leaders need to urge Congress to make it happen. The charade needs to end.
Ed Howe blogs regularly at Action for Better Healthcare.