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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are teaming up to foster technological innovation in the growing field of telemedicine (hat tip to The Medical Quack):

"FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg and FCC chairman Julius Genachowski signed a joint statement of principles and memorandum of understanding at the start of a two-day conference, which began on Monday, to showcase a broad range of cutting-edge wireless medical devices as well as discuss issues affecting the telehealth industry.
The joint statement declared that healthcare providers, patients, and other stakeholders 'should have clear regulatory pathways, processes, and standards to bring broadband and wireless-enabled medical devices to market. This includes clarity regarding each agency's scope of authority with respect to these devices, predictability regarding regulatory pathways, and streamlining the application process, as appropriate, to facilitate innovation while protecting patients.'" —"FCC, FDA Partner To Advance Telehealth," InformationWeek

While some will bemoan yet more regulatory grandstanding, this partnership should make things better for developers. Wireless medical devices necessarily have two parents: the technology and medical worlds. It's best for those two to talk to each other rather than give the kid the run around every time he wants to do something.

This field is exploding in so many ways. Just recently I read about a new technology allowing medical professionals to monitor patient signals via a smart mobile device:

Wireless technology holds great promise in the world of medicine. Hopefully this federal partnership will help resolve some of the real security concerns raised about these products. The big question is whether this partnership will result in more regulatory oversight over Electronic Health Records (EHRs), especially those being marketed for the handheld world.

Feel free to post any knowledge you have on this partnership, FDA oversight, or new wireless technology uses in health care.

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