The World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced an online platform called MeDevIS (Medical Devices Information System), the first global open access clearing house for information on medical devices.
It is designed to support governments, regulators, and users in their decision making on selection, and use of medical devices for diagnostics, testing, and treatment of the full range of diseases and health conditions.
“The number of medical technologies used in health care is growing, as is their complexity, which can make it challenging for health care practitioners and patients to navigate,” said WHO’s Dr Yukiko Nakatani.
“We aim to provide a one stop shop of international information, which can be invaluable for those making decisions on life-saving medical technologies, especially in resource-limited settings, and to improve access.”
The MeDevIS platform currently includes 2,301 types of medical devices used for a broad range of health issues and will be expanded over time.
MeDevIS replaces paper-based literature search across multiple publications with non-standard device names, which can add to the complexity.
Users can check devices they require, including type, level of health care systems to support the device (such as community or specialised hospitals), scope of the device, and infrastructure required. MedevIS also aims to help make the naming of the medical devices simpler, referencing two international naming systems for medical devices on the platform.
To access the MeDeviIS platform visit: medevis.whohealthtechnologies.org.