Introduction
Currently, in-person training and facility visits are the standard for onboarding new users to a medical device that is newly implemented in a healthcare facility. This means a company selling in international markets faces repeated long-distance travel, cultural challenges, and linguistic barriers on the road to combined user and device success.
With the new Medical Device Regulation in place (enforced from 2025) MedTech companies are facing greater scrutiny of their post-market activities. Front and center of this regulatory change is the ongoing risk-benefit analysis needed to understand the full impact of a device on the users and patients who come into contact with it.
In this article, we discuss one specific area affected by EU regulation change; the implementation of Medical Device Training and its reporting in post-market-surveilance.
Adopting Digital Hybrid Training Boosts the Efficiency of Medical Devices
Training device users with digital hybrid training
Move away from expensive MedTech Device Training
The high impact of face-to-face training is undoubtedly invaluable - and not something that anyone in the industry advocates for completely discontinuing, however there are obvious problems.
Impracticle & Inflexible
In-person training is often impractical as it requires the trainee to block-schedule time, something that has a knock-on effect as it often requires rescheduling or accommodating busy schedules. Healthcare needs better flexibility, and a user-driven approach that prioritises device users.
High Turnover of Staff
Healthcare systems are known to be stressful environments, working under pressure, often poor pay, and lack opportunities for career advancement - all of these leaves departments vulnerable after training one individual (or group) who could become absent through sickness or stress-leave, and beyond that the talent pool is weak. Few countries (in Europe or abroad) have the incentives in place to meet targets for training, recruiting and maintaining healthcare staff.
The Cost of Travel
The trainer is increasingly required to travel longer distances and therefore incur costs for flights, accommodation, and other accumulated travel expenses. Modern travel is also not without its issues, including delays, cancelations, and risks at borders. We are also living in times of greater uncertainty, war in Europe, and a sense of 'De-globalisation' is on the horizon - meaning more challenges getting visas and permission for crossing borders.
The Environmental Impact
In business (and leisure) we are all looking to move towards forms of travel with low carbon impact. Climate change is now tangible, affecting our environment globally and businesses will soon feel the impact of climate-related regulations. If the net-zero targets set by the paris agreement and other climate related targets are to be met, no industry can exclude themselves from the change that will be needed.
Post-market Success Platform for MedTech
The eco-system for stakeholders involved with a medical device in the post-market
Why choose Rekonnect
"Rekonnect is the solution that both MedTech & healthcare need; hybrid training for medical devices regardless of customer or user location."
Ingela Hallberg - MedCom Advice
Benefits of flexible Medical Device Training
Pre-pandemic there may have been resistence to rely on digital communications, but the hybrid office is here and a permenant shift in employee/employer mentality has occured. MedTech has continues to be an industry that rotates around the facility visit, trade shows and the importance of an in-person training but that must also now change.
Learning Management
in MedTech
Get the Insights
The Global Footprint in MedTech
The hybrid device training approach, specifically in medical device industry, is required to address that need for the continuation of a global market place, with a lessened environmental footprint and a deeper device-user understanding.
Sustainable Device Management
Although Medical technology isn't at the front of environmental consideration and conversation for its footprint, it is responsibe for considerable waste creation. A poorly managed device will leave a significant footprint, and society must look deeper into all corners of consumption, regardless of wether that is in healthcare or not. Medical device usuage must meet sustainable targets, alonside all other industries.
Reduction of Waste
Misuse of devices and malfunction (replacing parts or whole devices) must become a focus of MedTech companies as they compete against market leaders. The associated costs for a European MedTech SME, managing their device in (for example) USA, Asia or further abroad will not only bring significant impact on revenues but also the sourrounding environment.
Conclusion: MedTech can adopt Hybrid Training with Digital Solutions
Medical device regulation that comes into force in 2025 brings a signification opportunity for a full shift in focus for the medical device industry and SME MedTech companies. Embracing change will lead to sharper revenues, sustainable focus and greater impact of the device in the global market.
Rekonnect offers all the benefits of a modern hybrid training solution, encompasing in-person training and embracing on-going digital follow up - we are the first ever Medical Device Success platform that offers both user and device success in one interface.
Designed with MedTech, for MedTech, Rekonnect is the ultimate post-market-surveilance tool for ensuring you meet Medical Device Regulation.