Results of a new study into what influences the decision to recall a defective product found that medical device firm managers may rely on their physician-customers to screen out detectable defects, in lieu of issuing a recall. The study also found that some managers appear to hesitate to recall a product until the root cause of the defect is clearly understood, because this can reduce recall costs to the firm.

Although medical device recalls can be a challenge for any hospital, new regulations and technologies are starting to make this work a little easier, says seasoned writer Chris Hayhurst in October’s cover story. So, is your facility ready for a product recall? Assess your readiness here.

As part of your overall biomedical equipment management strategy, you should maintain a product recall process that allows your organization to react quickly and decisively to a recall situation, enBio Corp.’s Mike Murray and Arthur Zenian say. Below, they share how to accomplish this.

In order to reduce the lag time between manufacturer action and FDA posting, the FDA announced in January that it would begin posting product recalls in the Medical Device Recall database before the agency’s own classification procedure ran its course. It will be a marked improvement from how things have been in the past, maintains biomedical expert William Hyman, ScD.

When handled well—with the right messages—product recalls can improve a brand or company image. On the other hand, if a recall is handled badly, the damage can be fatal. The level of preparedness by a manufacturer going through a crisis can make or break its ongoing success and vitality. Fortunately, reacting quickly and being proactive with messaging is possible. It just takes adequate preparation.

ECRI Institute has released Automatch for Equipment, a new enhancement to its Alerts Tracker automated recall management solution. The feature is designed to automatically identify equipment models and supplies within a healthcare facility’s inventory that are impacted by an FDA alert or recall and notify designated department staff, reducing the need for manual inventory searches.