Australia needs to do more to regulate Internet-connected medical devices
07-Sep-17, The Conversation
In the future, people are going to be just a little bit cyborg. We’ve accepted hearing aids, nicotine patches and spectacles, but implanted medical devices that are internet-connected present new safety challenges.
%20Korawig%20Boonsua_%20Shutterstock.jpg "Australia needs to do more to regulate internet connected medical devices (c) Korawig Boonsua Shutterstock")
Image: Korawig Boonsua / Shutterstock
A global recall of pacemakers has sparked new fears about hacked medical devices. But the next 20 years of medicine will normalise the use of intelligent implants to control pain, provide data for diagnostic purposes and supplement ailing organs, which means we need proper security as well as access in case of emergency.
Recurrent criticisms by parliamentary committees and government inquiries suggest the regulator - the Therapeutic Goods Administration - may be struggling.