New CDRH Program to Leverage Patient Perspectives

CDRH has introduced a new program on the Patient and Care-partner Connection to allow patients and their organizations to dialog with Center staff about specific disease states and medical devices used for their treatment, diagnosis, or assessment. The program addresses one of CDRH’s key strategic priorities −partnering with patients and promoting a “culture of meaningful patient engagement and interaction between CDRH staff and patients and care-partners,” an agency notice says. While the program will broaden CDRH’s exposure to patient experiences with disease states and medical devices, it will not solicit or provide external policy advice or opinion, the notice says. To partner with CDRH, patients and groups will need to report any conflict of interests they may have that are pertinent to the discussion, which may ultimately disqualify their participation in certain situations.