FDA is one of the New Members of Collaborative Communities

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today that it will join several new Collaborative groups targeted at tackling patient health care concerns. Collaborative communities are an ongoing forum where community members from the business and public sectors collaborate on medical device challenges to achieve common goals and achievements.

The FDA is now a member of 12 Collaborative communities that are created, administered, and controlled by outside parties. These groups are working together to speed up and fill regulatory science and other knowledge gaps in order to help with medical device assessment and oversight. Medical device development and product quality; understanding of valvular heart disease; innovations in digital pathology; reducing rates of intended self-injury and suicidal acts by people with diabetes.

There are strategies to increase racial and ethnic minorities’ awareness, understanding, and participation in the medical technology industry are among the most recent collaborations. The is a member of these cooperative communities. Collaborative communities are formed by interested parties and can last indefinitely, producing deliverables as needed and tackling problems with wide-reaching consequences. The does not create, lead, or operate Collaborative communities, nor are they meant to provide advice to the FDA.

Michelle Tarver, M.D., Ph.D., deputy director of the Office of Strategic Partnerships said, “The number of Collaborative communities has continued to grow, showing that, amidst the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, many remain dedicated to the idea that together, they can better achieve common outcomes, solve shared challenges and leverage collective opportunities to improve public health.”Instead, the FDA may engage in community activities in order to lend its expertise and perspective to debates about public health issues and solutions. By December 31, 2020, the had met the goal set out in the CDRH’s 2018-2020 Strategic Priorities of engaging in at least 10 new  communities.