The poll comes on the heels of draft legislation, penned by House and Senate Committees, to reauthorize the statute governing medical devices. The Consumers Union argues the House bill weakens already existing standards to speed up device approvals, while the Senate bill should include stricter safety testing of devices. Results from the Consumer Reports poll suggest the public shares the same sentiments:
• 82 percent of Americans believe that preventing safety problems is more important than limiting safety testing in order to prevent delays and encourage innovation.
• 71 percent of the poll respondents said that a new device should not be allowed to be sold based on its similarity to an existing implant that has a safety problem or has been recalled.
• 95 percent of respondents said that effective consumer protections for medical implants should include a nationwide system for tracking medical implants so patients can be notified about safety problems or recalls.
Related Articles on Device Safety:
Legislation Would Require Automatic Device Tracking to Improve Device Safety
Call to Action Aims to Protect Healthcare Workers From Bloodborne Diseases
Nurses at Risk of Blood Exposure During Catheter Insertion, Removal
