This week, we learned about what would need monitoring and controlling in a project such as the schedule, budget, resources, performance, and scope. For example, the schedule can change when a part doesn’t arrive by its planned date. Thus, the changes in the schedule would be monitored and controlled to take note of this shipping issue.
Although the listed items are typically under monitoring and controlling, there are other items would benefit from monitoring and controlling as well. What are other things in a project that should be monitored and controlled? In what type of medical device project, should they be especially be paid close attention to? Are the examples you provided overlooked despite its need to be monitored and controlled in a systematic manner?
An important aspect of a project to monitor is project risk. At the start of the project a risk register is created with the potential risks, severity levels, and mitigation plans. Throughout the project, these risks may come to be a reality, or start to approach becoming an issue that must be dealt with. Therefore its important to keep track and monitor project risks so that early mitigation is possible.
Ensuring the medical device meets predefined quality standards is crucial. This entails thorough testing and validation of the device against international standards, such as ISO 13485 for medical devices, and regulatory requirements, like those set by the FDA in the United States and the EMA in Europe. Continuously monitoring the production processes, materials, and final products is essential to maintain quality. Medical devices come with important challenges, such as ensuring patient safety, complying with regulations, and integrating new technology. Continuously evaluating and managing these risks is crucial for a successful project. Regularly assessing risks, closely monitoring the project, and applying strategies to minimize issues are essential steps to achieve the desired outcome.
In a medical device project, a robust monitoring and controlling process is crucial in clinical trials. These trials essentially determine the safety and efficacy of your product, so it is critical that their progress is monitored closely. Unexpected developments during clinical trials may significantly influence the trajectory of the project, which makes monitoring and controlling that much more important. Effective time management and communication with the people working in the clinical trials is vital in maintaining record of a clinical trial's progress. By knowing how it is progressing and comparing it to the planned timeline, one can easily identify delays, could investigate problems, and potentially determine root causes ahead of time. Pre-emptive action can reduce project risk within the clinical trials, which would only be possible through careful monitoring and controlling.
Although schedule, budget, resources, performance, and scope are some parameters that should be closely monitored and controlled, there are a few other parameters that should be controlled as well. One of them being quality assurance. It is essential to control and monitor the quality of the product during its development and conduct regular inspections and tests to ensure that all issues are addressed. Furthermore, it is imperative to monitor the supply chain management because any delays or disruptions to the supply chain can significantly hold back or delay the timeline or budget of the project. Lastly, it is also important to conduct post-market surveillance where the performance of the product after its launch is monitored. By doing so, regulatory issues and patient harm are significantly decreased.
While not talked about much in the course, one aspect of medical device development (especially for devices that require clinical trials) that needs to be monitored is documentation. There are so many different forms of documentation including protocols, informed consent forms, test documents, etc. For FDA approval, all of these documents need to be properly organized and accounted form. Because of the vast number of documents, it is easy to lose track of some, which can severely hamper eventual FDA approval. Thus, constant monitoring and controlling of documentation is a must in the field of medical device development.
There are many aspects of medical device projects that require tedious monitoring and controlling across several areas. Stakeholder communication is an example. Ensuring efficient communication with stakeholders, clients, and internal staff is vital for the project's success. Supervising and regulating stakeholder communication guarantees that all parties remain well-informed and actively involved throughout the project's duration. Additionally, the monitoring and control of documentation is essential during projects. Documentation control is important in maintaining project-relevant information that is accurate and easily accessible for traceability purposes.
Those involved in a high risk medical device project, including those that concern products that support life-sustaining processes, should pay close attention to stakeholder communication and documentation monitoring to ensure regulatory compliance and patient safety. Of course, there are some scenarios where these two areas can be overlooked, which can result in major repercussions, especially in the sense of high-risk medical devices.
it's a good question. I agree with others opinion. They mentioned very good points. However, I also want to explain it briefly and give some major points.
1. Quality Assurance: For medical devices, quality assurance is very challenging. This includes monitoring and controlling quality at each stage of design, development, manufacturing, and testing to prevent defects and ensure patient safety.
2. Regulatory Compliance: Monitoring and controlling regulatory compliance involves staying up-to-date with relevant regulations, obtaining necessary approvals or certifications, and ensuring that all documentation and processes adhere to regulatory standards.
3. Clinical Trials and Studies: If the medical device requires clinical evaluation or testing, monitoring and controlling the progress of clinical trials or studies is vital.
3. Supplier Management: Monitoring and controlling supplier performance, delivery schedules, and product quality are essential to ensure that the project progresses smoothly and meets its objectives.