2020 Volume 69 Issue 3 Pages 282-289
Innovation in surgery, and especially the development of new surgical procedures, is indispensable to improving medical care. However, new procedures have sometimes resulted in serious adverse outcomes, and on such occasions, reviews of safety and effectiveness have been critically discussed, toward possible improvements. While surgical innovations are made both in clinical research and during the process of clinical practice, oversight regarding the latter is generally not as rigid and standardized as that of the former.
The National Health Services and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the UK have implemented the Interventional Procedures Program, and aim to enhance oversight regarding new procedures, in order to secure the safety and effectiveness of new medical technologies by strengthening governance. This program establishes the rules and processes concerning how to review, approve, and monitor (audit) the introduction of new procedures by NHS trusts and hospitals.
Policies and programs established in the UK to oversee innovations in surgery are expected to help facilitate policy discussions in Japan and other countries.
