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A new report by the OECD makes sobering reading as it makes the point that continued expansion of spending in developed countries is unsustainable. Reading the reported highlights, a couple of statements jumped out at me. “Healthcare costs are escalating rapidly, driven by population aging, rising relative prices and costly developments in medical technology. Public […]

The recent report from the European Commission into the reuse of single use medical devices reminds me of Hamlet. The Danish prince, like the Commission in their report, had to contemplate the nature of action, and whether to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles […]

It is perhaps surprising how quickly coronary angioplasty has become just another everyday procedure. As someone who has seen open-heart surgery live and witnessed the trauma and hospital resource intensity of such procedures, the placing of a stent as an alternative is almost unimaginably better for both patient and the health sytem as a whole. […]

As the true depth of the Greek debt crisis unfolds it is hard to understand why the alarm bells were not ringing long ago. In our sector alone there is something in the region of €2.3 billion of unpaid bills and this has not happened overnight. We were warning of this particular symptom almost two […]

Yesterday’s report by Thomson Reuters on the real causes of excessive costs in the US healthcare system make interesting reading. Centre stage is over-treatment generated by a litigious culture which encourages patients to sue and, from that, doctors to perform tests and procedures, not because in their clinical judgement the patient needs them but because […]

The latest results of the Euro Health Consumer Index (www.healthpowerhouse.com) further confirm the superiority of Bismarckian social philosophy over the Beveridge approach, at least as far as the patient is concerned. Bismarck countries, characterised by compulsory third party insurance systems, feature as the most consumer friendly health systems from the perspective of the patient and […]

Sitting on Boston’s south shore, the John F. Kennedy Pesidential Library is both imposing yet not over-stated. A rare treat for me was the opportunity to address the annual meeting of MassMEDIC, the largest regional medical technology association in the USA – and that means the world, I am sure! The speaker’s podium has a […]

Hello and welcome to the Eucomed blog. This is the place to find out about the latest news on all aspects of medical technology, from financing of healthcare to European regulation. You will also be able to read short reports of events attended by Eucomed staff. We have put together a team of bloggers, each […]