Relying on Consumer-Grade Products Can Lead to Inappropriate Healthcare Decisions

January 28, 2021 | Evaluations & Guidance

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Patients and clinicians alike are increasingly interested in consumer-grade healthcare products to provide some level of care when a traditional medical device is unavailable, inappropriate, inconvenient, or too expensive. Products such as consumer-grade finger pulse oximeters, blood pressure cuffs, and glucose monitors are now being used in the home as well as elsewhere within the healthcare continuum.

Two key factors have been driving the increased interest in the use of consumer-grade products at this time:

One has to do with the challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenges such as medical device and personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, other resource limitations (including staff and financial resources), and infection control concerns have prompted healthcare providers to consider the use of consumer-grade devices for monitoring patients, even in the acute care environment. For example: To minimize contact between staff and infected patients during the pandemic, consumer-grade continuous glucose monitors (CGMs)—which...

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