Could Virtual Training Reduce Use Errors and Improve Patient Outcomes?

Medical device companies “have had enough of people using their devices improperly—it leaves them open to lawsuits and recalls,” Dr. Justin Barad told BIOMEDevice Boston attendees during an April 18 Center Stage presentation. Founder and CEO of Osso VR, Barad believes the solution lies in virtual training and education. “You can make a major impact in patient outcomes in how surgeons are trained,” he said. A pediatric orthopaedic surgeon himself, Barad developed Osso VR, a virtual reality system for training surgeons. Osso VR is a “hands-on, reliable, interactive” system that allows “you to see at a granular level the technical ability of product users,” he told the audience. Today, what is lacking “is insight into the technical ability of our providers,” continued Barad. “Medical device companies have no idea whether their products are being used properly.” Consequently, companies could be liable, he said. Improving patient outcomes is central to Osso’s mission, as are increasing adoption of higher-value medical technologies and democratizing access to education. Barad explained that hospitals and surgeons may continue to use existing technologies because surgeons don’t have the time and opportunity to train on the newer products. There’s also a skills gap, “as residency programs are aware that residents go out into the world not ready,” Barad said. And there’s a fixed number of surgeons to serve an aging population. “It’s projected ...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: BIOMEDevice Boston Software Source Type: news