Introduction

The requirements contained in this International Standard provide manufacturers with a framework within which experience, insight and judgment are applied systematically to manage the risks associated with the use of medical devices.

This International Standard was developed specifically for medical device/system manufacturers using established principles of risk management. For other manufacturers, e.g., in other healthcare industries, this International Standard could be used as informative guidance in developing and maintaining a risk management system and process.

This International Standard deals with processes for managing risks, primarily to the patient, but also to the operator, other persons, other equipment and the environment.

As a general concept, activities in which an individual, organization or government is involved can expose those or other stakeholders to hazards which can cause loss of or damage to something they value. Risk management is a complex subject because each stakeholder places a different value on the probability of harm occurring and its severity.

It is accepted that the concept of risk has two components:

a) the probability of occurrence of harm;
b) the consequences of that harm, that is, how severe it might be.

The concepts of risk management are particularly important in relation to medical devices because of the variety of stakeholders including medical practitioners, the organizations providing health care, governments, industry, patients and members of the public.

All stakeholders need to understand that the use of a medical device entails some degree of risk. The acceptability of a risk to a stakeholder is influenced by the components listed above and by the stakeholder’s perception of the risk. Eachstakeholder’s perception of the risk can vary greatly depending upon their cultural background, the socio-economic and educational background of the society concerned, the actual and perceived state of health of the patient, and many other factors. The way a risk is perceived also takes into account, for example, whether exposure to the hazard seems to be involuntary, avoidable, from a man-made source, due to negligence, arising from a poorly understood cause, or directed at a vulnerable group within society. The decision to use a medical device in the context of a particular clinical procedure requires the residual risks to be balanced against the anticipated benefits of the procedure. Such judgments should take into account the intended use, performance and risks associated with the medical device, as well as the risks and benefits associated with the clinical procedure or the circumstances of use. Some of these judgments can be made only by a qualified medical practitioner with knowledge of the state of health of an individual patient or the patient’s own opinion.

As one of the stakeholders, the manufacturer makes judgments relating to safety of a medical device, including the acceptability of risks, taking into account the generally accepted state of the art, in order to determine the suitability of a medical device to be placed on the market for its intended use. This International Standard specifies a process through which the manufacturer of a medical device can identify hazards associated with a medical device, estimate and evaluate the risks associated with these hazards, control these risks, and monitor the effectiveness of that control.

For any particular medical device, other International Standards could require the application of specific methods for managing risk.

BS EN ISO 14971:2012

Medical devices. Application of risk management to medical devices

Published:

31 Jul 2012

Withdrawn:

18 Dec 2019