Translating medical device innovations to market - a Ugandan perspective.

There is a disparity between low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs) in translating medical device innovations to the market, affecting health care service delivery. Whereas medical technologies developed in HICs face substantial challenges in getting to the bedside, there are at least clear pathways in most of the major markets, such as the UK, the EU, and the USA. Much less is known about the challenges that innovators of medical technologies face in LMICs. The aim of this study was to map out current bottlenecks in medical device innovation in Uganda, a LMIC in Sub-Saharan East Africa.A cross-sectional survey was carried out using a digital questionnaire. Twenty-one individuals completed the questionnaire, with the majority being medical device innovators (n = 12). Only one of these had undertaken all the innovation stages, up to clinical validation. Very few innovators had established companies, and/or acquired intellectual property. It is evident from similar studies that challenges in medical device translations are multidimensional, and hence interdisciplinary collaborations are key to accelerating translation processes, especially for LMICs.

Evaluation of the current status of prosthetic rehabilitation services for major limb loss: a descriptive study in Ugandan Referral hospitals.

PURPOSE: Low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) have a large burden of major limb loss. No recent study has reported on Uganda's state of public sector prosthetics services. This study aimed to document the landscape of major limb loss, and the structure of available prosthetics services in Uganda. METHODS: This study involved a retrospective review of medical records at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, and Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, and a cross-sectional survey of personnel involved in the fabrication and fitting of prosthetic devices across orthopaedic workshops in the country. RESULTS: Upper limb amputations accounted for 14.2%, and lower limb accounted for 81.2%. Gangrene (30.3%) was the leading cause of amputation, followed by road traffic accidents and diabetes mellitus. Orthopaedic workshops offered decentralised services, and most materials used were imported. Essential equipment was largely lacking. Orthopaedic technologists had diverse experience and skill sets, but many other factors limited their service provision. CONCLUSION: The Ugandan public healthcare system lacks adequate prosthetic services both in terms of personnel and supporting resources, including equipment, materials, and components. The provision of prosthetics rehabilitation services is limited, especially in rural regions. Decentralising services could improve patients' access to prosthetic services.Implications for RehabilitationAvailability and accessibility of prosthetic services are essential to the rehabilitation and reintegration of amputees into communities in Low-and-Middle-Income countries (LMICs).For stakeholders to formulate effective plans to address issues within prosthetics service provision, quality data on the current state of services is necessary.Service providers should prioritise the decentralisation of prosthetic rehabilitation services, especially for patients in rural areas, to improve access and reach of these services.To achieve optimal limb functionality after amputation for both lower and upper limb amputees, rehabilitation professionals working in LMICs should focus on delivering comprehensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation services.Orthopaedic personnel should ensure complete and accurate documentation of patient information following amputation to enable effective tracking and monitoring of patient care to improve outcomes of rehabilitation.