ACR Chief Information Officer at FDA and FCC Discussion: Imaging is an Important mHealth Consideration
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held a public meeting on July 26-27 to discuss enhanced coordination between the agencies for future mobile/wireless broadband (mHealth) medical devices and applications. Michael Tilkin, ACR Chief Information Officer and staff liaison to the ACR IT & Informatics Committee, was invited to participate in a roundtable discussion at the meeting.
“It is important to keep in mind that mobile and wireless broadband considerations specific to medical imaging are constantly changing, and we should keep imaging’s communications requirements in mind when discussing an evolving mHealth infrastructure in the United States,” said Tilkin.
Communications devices are regulated by FCC and medical devices are under FDA’s authority. However, devices that merge communications with medical applications are generally regulated by both agencies. Thus, the meeting focused on data integrity and reliability issues arising from the use of allocated spectrum, use of unlicensed devices, and the use of commercial networks and applications for medical purposes. The discussions also touched on the security, privacy, and interoperability considerations.
The FDA-FCC meeting came on the heels of the recently announced modifications to the FCC’s rural healthcare program to expand U.S. investment in broadband for medically underserved communities across the country per the National Broadband Plan.
Click here to visit the National Broadband Plan website.
