Digital health technologies, including algorithms for use in health care, are being developed to aid healthcare providers and serve patients, from use with administrative tasks and workflow to diagnostic and decision support. The use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) and machine learning algorithms in health care holds great promise, with the ability to help streamline care
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Notified body capacity needed! MDCG proposals recognize need to increase notified body capacity to ensure device availability
The Medical Device Coordination Group (“MDCG”) has published a new position paper (MDCG 2022-14) acknowledging the significant and urgent lack of capacity of EU notified bodies. It acknowledges the risk that this could lead to many existing and new medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices (“IVDs”) not undergoing timely conformity assessments
German Federal Office for Information Security Publishes Security Requirements for Healthcare Apps
On June 23, 2022, the German Federal Office for Information Security (“Office”) published technical guidelines on security requirements for healthcare apps, including mobile apps, web apps, and background systems. Although the technical guidelines are aimed at healthcare app developers, they contain useful guidance for developers of any app that processes or stores sensitive data.
The
OIG Issues Advisory Opinion on Digital Program for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders
On March 2, 2022, the Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) for the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) posted an advisory opinion concluding that a digital program for the treatment of substance use disorders would raise minimal fraud and abuse risk. OIG advisory opinions address the application of certain fraud and abuse enforcement authorities
3 Takeaways Digital Health Innovators Should Be Watching in the PREVENT Pandemics Act
On January 25, 2022, Senators Patty Murray and Richard Burr (Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, respectively) released a “discussion draft” of bipartisan legislation—the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (“PREVENT Pandemics Act”)—which contains notable provisions related to digital health.
FDA Webinar Provides New Insights on Use of Digital Health Technologies in Clinical Trials
Spurred by the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, FDA has taken a number of regulatory actions to advance the use of digital health technologies (“DHTs”) in clinical trials. DHTs provide sponsors with opportunities to capture a broader array of information from study subjects than is typically available through traditional study designs. This includes information from
FTC Releases New Health Breach Notification Rule Guidance, Targets Health Apps and Connected Devices
On January 21, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced new resources to help companies determine their obligations under the Health Breach Notification Rule (the “Rule”): the Health Breach Notification Rule: Basics for Business, which provides a quick introduction to the Rule, and Complying with FTC’s Health Breach Notification Rule (“Compliance Guidance”), a more in-depth
5 Digital Health Issues to Watch at FDA in 2022
As we kick off 2022, several recent developments from FDA suggest that this year could be pivotal for the Agency’s digital health priorities. From new FDA offices and artificial intelligence guidance, to FDA’s user fee commitments and must-pass legislation in Congress, this post outlines five key issues to watch in 2022 related to FDA and
California Governor Signs Legislation to Expand Genetic Privacy Protections After Last Year’s Veto
On Wednesday, October 6th, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 41, the Genetic Information Privacy Act, which expands genetic privacy protections for consumers in California, including those interacting with direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) genetic testing companies. In a recent Covington Digital Health blog post, our colleagues discussed SB 41 and the growing patchwork of state genetic privacy
CMS Proposal Would Impact Coverage of Innovative Digital Health Technologies
On September 15, 2021, CMS published a proposed rule to repeal the Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology (MCIT) and Definition of “Reasonable and Necessary” Final Rule (“MCIT/RN Rule”), which was published on January 14, 2021 and was set to take effect on December 15, 2021. The MCIT/RN Rule would have created a pathway to provide