HHS Seeks Input to Encourage Medical Technology Innovation

To encourage innovation in health care and speed the development of new medical technologies, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week it is forming an internal task force to weigh new ideas and promote new solutions.

The task force will involve HHS’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health. Department Secretary Tommy Thompson has charged the task force with developing steps to speed the availability of new medical technologies such as drug and biological products and medical devices.

“This task force will look for opportunities across the department to promote speedier access to new innovative medical technologies that can improve people’s health and save lives,” Secretary Thompson said. “Often, a new technology must clear several hurdles in different parts of HHS before it can reach consumers. By better coordinating this process across HHS, we can streamline the way we do business and make safe, effective medical technologies more quickly and readily available to Americans who could benefit from them.”

To assist the task force’s efforts, HHS is seeking comments from the public on how to stimulate innovation in medical technologies. A notice explaining the comment filing process and period, which extends until Aug. 23, is to be published in today's Federal Register. Electronic comments will be accepted at http://www.fda.gov/dockets/ecomments.