work product for review and discussion by the fdasia regulation subgroup; may not reflect the...

Work product for review and discussion by the FDASIA Regulation Subgroup; May not reflect the subgroup’s views

REGULATORY WEAKNESSESA report of the typist for the Regulation Subgroup

(i.e. no one has seen or approved this)

Draft 07/02/13


Process over the next weekDiscussion of the Regulations Subgroup over the next week:

1. Are the three regulatory systems – ONC, FCC and FDA – deficient in any way with regard to how HIT is regulated? (July 1, except reporting which will be on July 3)

2. Are there ambiguities in the three regulatory systems that need to be clarified so that HIT vendors and others can proceed more easily to innovate? (July 3)

3. Do any of the three regulatory systems duplicate one another, or any other legal, regulatory or industry requirement? (July 3)

4. Is there a better way to assure that innovation is permitted to bloom, while safety is assured? (July 8)


FDA issues where attention needed

Item Issue:A or B

Description of challenge

Wellness/disease borderline

A & B FDA needs to explain how to discern disease related claims from wellness, and needs to deregulate low risk disease related claims

Accessory issues A & B FDA needs to explain its position on which basic IT elements are regulated when connected to a medical device, and deregulate or down-regulate those that are low risk

CDS software A FDA needs to explain which forms of clinical decision support software it regulates

Software modularization

A FDA needs to specify its rules for deciding the regulatory status of software modules either incorporated into a medical device, or accessed by a medical device

A = Ambiguous and B = Broken at the written law level


FDA issues where attention needed

Item Issue:A or B


Intended use issues

A FDA needs to explain how the concept of intended use will be applied to standalone software where the use might evolve over time, perhaps using risk management and postmarket surveillance to manage the risks associated with the evolution in the intended use

QS application to standalone software

A FDA needs to explain how the quality system requirements and facility registration apply to manufacturing of standalone software

Premarket requirements for interoperable devices

A FDA needs to adopt a paradigm for reviewing software that is intended to be part of a larger, but unspecified

Postmarket requirements for networks

A & B Responsibilities for reporting adverse events and conducting corrective actions can be clarified, but also likely need a new approach that reflects shared responsibility across users, producers, and across regulatory agencies



FDA Program Administration• Apart from those regulatory issues, the subgroup has also

identified an issue with how the agency administers the law. There is presently a weakness in the agency coordination of policymaking with regard to HIT software, and especially including mobile medical apps. This weakness includes:inconsistencies in information shared with individual companies,

and unclear guidance more generally, including the lack of a final

guidance on mobile medical apps.


ONC issues where attention needed

Item Issue:A or B


Mandatory elements

B ONC program does not include capability in law enforcement, nor its programs framed with mandates where necessary

Assurance of Safe Configuration

A Safety depends on appropriate post-installation configuration. No means to educate or require compliance with documented and evolving best practices



FCC issues where attention needed

Item Issue:A or B


Post-installation Surveillance

A Spectrum management and identification, diagnosing, and resolving wireless co-existence/EMC problems that affect HIT and medical device performance (in healthcare facilities and mHealth environments)



Bigger Picture

Whether collectively the regulatory scheme in totality:

1. Fails to address some particular safety risk

2. Is too costly in relation to the risks it is designed to reduce

3. Is demonstrably too burdensome on innovation, apart from imposing costs

We agreed not to get into politics or philosophy but instead stick to evidence driven policy.


Cross agency issues where attention needed

Item Description of challenge

Reporting of safety issuesFDA/FCC/ONC

The need to aggregate data across all three agencies to understand what the data are really telling us

Coverage of interoperability issuesFDA/ONC

Unclear and incomplete responsibility. Assumption that ONC does regulate HIT/medical device interface and FDA regulates med device/med device interface. But same med device (e.g. infusion pump) could be installed in either configuration. Which agency would receive report of “pump-server-HIT equipment-wireless infrastructure-EHR” related adverse event? Who is responsible for resolving?

FCC/FDA review FCC and FDA do not coordinate their review processes (equipment authorization program and premarket review) to ensure they are consistent

FCC/FDA conformity assessment

Incomplete/missing clinically focused wireless conformity assessment tools that would facilitate safety and co-existence analysis


Next step

Monday call will address the biggest of the pictures.

work product for review and discussion by the fdasia regulation subgroup; may not reflect the...

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