Trial by media: the case of the worn hip prostheses.
Another example of a medical device failing to produce a uniformly satisfactory performance is being widely discussed in the media. The controversy it arouses reduces patient confidence in the industry and calls into question the value of some technical developments and the effectiveness of regulatory procedures. Some of the generic issues arising from this case are discussed in this article.
Williams
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Clinical Engineering Department, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, UK. dfw.ce@liverpool.ac.uk
D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006622:Hip Prosthesis / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D006113:United Kingdom