By Tom Leary MA, CAE, FHIMSS, executive director of HIMSS Foundation
When President Donald J. Trump signed into law the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in mid-December, the bill’s 65th consecutive passing had largely bipartisan support. Knowing the significant role the NDAA has in shaping national policy from my time working in the defense community early in my career, I am struck by the growing debate spilling beyond the defense sector into the healthcare ecosystem on the “right to repair” provision.
“Right to repair” refers to policies that require manufacturers to provide consumers and independent repair providers with access to the tools, parts, software, and documentation needed to repair products. Although right-to-repair provisions were ultimately removed from the final FY2026 NDAA, the debate unfolding on Capitol Hill underscores a critical truth: In some sectors, repair is a matter of public safety.
Nowhere is that more evident today than in healthcare. Over the past several decades, advances in medical technology have changed what modern healthcare can achieve. Robotic surgical equipment, complex monitoring devices, and artificial intelligence-enabled diagnostics are redefining patient care. As the world’s healthcare tools become more powerful, however, they also become more complex. Repairing and maintaining these devices is much more than just tightening a bolt. When it comes to intricate networks of software and data systems, the consequences of a less-than-perfect repair directly impacts patient safety. Safe repair sits at the very foundation of trust in our health system.
Broad proposals emerging across the country to extend “right to repair” mandates to medical equipment warrant careful scrutiny. In some cases, in other industries, expanding repair makes sense. For farming equipment, household appliances, and personal electronics, more repair options can empower consumers. But extending those same mandates to medical devices overlooks a fundamental reality: When lives are at stake, there is zero room for error. Fixing a cracked phone screen is not the same as updating an MRI machine, a task that requires expertise and precise standards. As our medical technology continues to evolve, so must our standards.
The global HIMSS community understands this well. With a membership of more than 135,000 clinicians, digital health experts, researchers, and healthcare leaders, we see every day the level of precision that medical devices require and the expertise needed to maintain them. In our digitally interconnected world, even small errors can lead to large failures, ultimately impacting patient outcomes and treatment plans.
This is where federal oversight comes in. Original medical equipment manufacturers are required to follow the Food and Drug Administration’s Quality System Regulations, which include rigorous training standards, mandatory adverse-event reporting, and detailed fixing protocols. These requirements are built-in safeguards that keep patients safe.
Yet right-to-repair mandates would open access to unregulated third-party repair options that are not held to these same high standards. They face no federal quality standards, no reporting requirements if a repair goes wrong, and no measures to ensure consistency.
As the devices the healthcare industry uses grow more advanced, the risks also increase. A single miscalibrated component can distort imaging results. An incomplete software update can expose hospitals to cybersecurity threats. A repair performed without full knowledge of the device’s inner mechanics can compromise its ability to work. When patient health and safety rely on precision, oversight matters just as much as innovation.
There is another cost to consider: the impact on the pace of technological advancement. Because many right-to-repair mandates are written broadly, imposing standards essentially requires device designs to be simplified so anyone can fix and maintain them. In practice, this discourages the very innovation that drives medical technology forward. Manufacturers may be pushed to limit design features to comply with repair access requirements. At a time when the global health community is moving toward smarter, more secure systems, policies that inadvertently constrain innovation are counterproductive.
The effects also impact the workforce. Maintaining today’s devices requires specialized knowledge of clinical awareness, engineering, and cybersecurity. Hospitals rely on repair personnel who understand the devices and the environments in which they operate. Introducing unregulated third parties into the system creates uncertainty and inconsistent repair quality, putting more burdens on our workforce. As a healthcare community, our goals should be to facilitate a resilient workforce. Lowering the qualification standards for those who service medical devices undermines that effort.
Policymakers do not need to decide between innovation and safety. They simply need to recognize that medical devices are different from consumer products. Applying right to repair to health technologies without proper safeguards jeopardizes patient safety and the healthcare system alike.
HIMSS was founded to create an informed and empowered community, one that bridges visionary ideas with practical execution. Our vision is to realize the full health potential of every human, everywhere. Our mission is to reform the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology. That mission requires a repair environment that is accountable and grounded in the highest standards of safety, which a one-size-fits-all repair mandate cannot deliver. A commitment between lawmakers, manufacturers, and clinicians will ensure that every repair meets the level of precision that modern healthcare demands.
Safe repair is a matter of human health, and when lives are at stake, protecting patients must remain the highest priority.
About the author: Tom Leary is the Executive Director of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Foundation.
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