Clear perspectives for medical technology
BVMed Annual Report 2010/11
The German Medical Technology Association BVMed advocates for clear perspectives for medical technology innovations. "There is a need for a common strategic positioning of industry, science, and politics on research, development, and innovation in medical technology in Germany , states BVMed chairman Dr. Meinrad Lugan in the newly published Annual Report
2010/11.
BVMed, the German Medical Technology Association, represents more than 230 manufacturers and trade companies in the medical technology sector. The whole market for medical technologies amounts in Germany to more than 25 billion euros with 170.000 employees. The 24-pages annual report can be
downloaded at www.bvmed.de (publications).
The report points out that in the past months, political decision-makers have increasingly come to realize and acknowledge the important contributions made by medtech companies to innovation and increased efficiency in the German health system. Numerous events concerning the health economy with Dr. Angela Merkel or Ministers Dr. Philipp Roesler and Rainer Bruederle bore witness to this positive development in 2010. Medtech companies now expect clear perspectives for innovations in medical technology, says Dr. Lugan.
The general economic conditions in Germany for innovation and the development and introduction of modern medical technologies that help patients and make the health system more efficient must be continually
analyzed and further adapted where necessary. Desired improvements from the point of view of BVMed include clear stipulations on time periods as well as stronger participation rights in the Joint Federal Committee (JFC), the introduction of an innovation pool to support medical innovations, and the establishment of agreed processes for the assessment of benefits of medical technologies. One important core demand of medtech companies remains retaining the principle of "permission with the reservation of prohibition in the inpatient sector, and extension this innovation-friendly principle to the outpatient sector wherever structural preconditions are the same.
Next to current health political issues, BVMed's Annual Report 2010/11 contains information on the medical technology sector and on BVMed's departments Politics, Healthcare Systems, Health Insurance, Homecare, Legal Issues, Consumer Protection, and Communications. In addition, information on the work of BVMed's more than 50 expert committees is provided. The 24-page Annual Report can be downloaded here
04.04.2011
