Future Scope of Medical Technology

Troy Schurr is a commercial oncology leader with nearly 30 years of experience across the diagnostics, pharmaceutical and biotech industries. He leads commercial strategies that strengthen partnerships and advance precision medicine through nextgeneration sequencing solutions. A Leadership Philosophy Shaped by Experience Schurr’s career across therapeutics and diagnostics has shaped his commercial perspective, grounded in connecting scientific innovation with patient impact. After earning his MBA, he joined Johnson & Johnson in 1998 as a sales representative. His career progression included hospital and academic account management, followed by sales training across immunology and oncology, before moving into marketing. After 17 years at Johnson & Johnson, he moved to Clovis Oncology to support a PARP inhibitor launch. He later joined Archer Diagnostics as VP of global marketing, leading work across comprehensive genomic profiling, decentralized testing and the preliminary development of a molecular residual disease assay. He subsequently returned to the pharmaceutical industry, leading global strategy for an antibody-drug conjugate at Astellas and helping launch it in 28 countries. His interest in diagnostics led Schurr to Foundation Medicine in early 2022. He progressed from VP of global marketing for biopharma to chief biopharma business officer and now chief commercial officer, where he leads the U.S. commercial organization across the clinical and biopharma businesses. His responsibilities span sales, marketing, alliance management, payer and national accounts, and strategic management. He also works across medical operations, product, R&D and corporate functions to sustain alignment between strategy and execution. Driving Growth through Customer Value Schurr does not view development and value creation as competing objectives. In health care, sustainable growth is only possible when one delivers meaningful value. For healthcare providers, value means trusted genomic insights that inform treatment decisions; for biopharmaceutical partners, it means supporting drug development and clinical efficiency; and for patients, it means expanding access to precision medicine. His commercial philosophy focuses on becoming a true partner rather than just a vendor by understanding customer challenges, delivering consistently and building long-term relationships. At Foundation Medicine, that approach spans across community, clinical and academic oncology settings through partnership building, evidence generation, expanded access and continuous improvement of the customer experience. For Schurr, the customer’s voice is also central to his strategy. The questions informing decisions are whether an initiative creates greater customer value and improves clinical outcomes. Shaping Commercial Strategy for What Comes Next Schurr sees precision medicine expanding beyond its traditional oncology foundation, with greater integration of genomic, clinical and real-world data. As therapies become more personalized, organizations need the right assays and biomarkers to support discovery while building the commercial footprint, education and awareness needed to support companion diagnostics. AI and advanced analytics further help unlock insights from multifaceted data sets, supporting smarter clinical and commercial decisions. Foundation Medicine is strengthening its platform and data capabilities while developing bespoke, longterm commercial models with biopharma partners. For Schurr, the objective is not just to respond to market developments but to help shape what comes next. Advice for Future Leaders Schurr encourages aspiring leaders to put people first, build teams that believe in each other and the mission and execute with discipline and promptness to deliver extraordinary results. Market outlook, products and technology will continue evolving, but strong teams adapt and succeed through that change. He believes high-performing organizations are built on trust, accountability, alignment and a common commitment to excellence. Leaders should listen attentively, give clarity and maintain high standards while giving people opportunities to gain insights from failures and mistakes, keeping them connected to the larger vision. ...Read more

A medical device can offer a meaningful clinical benefit and still struggle to gain attention if the people who need it do not understand its value. Healthcare professionals have to weigh safety, effectiveness, ease of use and cost before adopting a new technology. For medtech companies, marketing means explaining how a product addresses these concerns in a way that is clear, credible and relevant to clinical practice. Unlike many consumer products, medical technology is rarely purchased on impulse. Decisions may involve physicians, hospital administrators, procurement teams, clinical engineers and other stakeholders, each with different priorities. Marketing must account for these perspectives while keeping the focus on what the technology is designed to do and whom it serves. Speaking to the Right Audience Medical technology covers a broad range of products, from diagnostic equipment and surgical devices to digital health platforms and patient monitoring systems. Each serves a different purpose, and its value needs to be communicated accordingly. A physician may want to understand how a device fits into a procedure, while a hospital administrator may be more concerned with operating costs, staff training and maintenance. Procurement teams may focus on product specifications, supplier reliability and long-term support. A single message is unlikely to answer every question. Medtech companies need to tailor their messaging to the people evaluating a product. Physicians may focus on clinical use, while hospital administrators look at cost, training and support. Addressing these concerns helps buyers understand where a product fits and whether it meets their needs. Marketing teams also need to understand the environments in which products are used. A device that works well in one clinical setting may require different training, infrastructure or workflows in another. Recognizing these practical considerations makes product communication more relevant and helps set realistic expectations. Building Trust Through Evidence Trust is essential in medical technology because purchasing decisions can affect clinical practice and patient care. Healthcare professionals need reliable information about how a product works, what it is designed to achieve and what its limitations are. Medtech marketing must explain what a product can do and provide evidence to support its claims. Clinicians want to know how a device performs and whether it suits their patients and practice. Hospital administrators and procurement teams have different concerns, including cost, staff training, maintenance and ongoing support. Marketing needs to address these questions without making claims that go beyond the available evidence or regulatory requirements. Medical technology can be complex, but product information should not make it harder to understand. Clinical data and technical specifications need to be presented in ways that help people make informed decisions. The goal is to give each audience the details it needs to judge a product’s value, understand its limitations and decide whether it meets their requirements. Education also plays an important role. Webinars, demonstrations, clinical discussions and product training can help healthcare professionals understand how a device fits into existing practice. These interactions give marketing teams an opportunity to address questions and hear concerns that may not emerge through conventional promotional materials. Credibility also depends on acknowledging practical limitations. Healthcare buyers are more likely to make informed decisions when companies explain what their products can do, what support they require and which clinical situations they are intended to address. Connecting Marketing with the Customer Experience A medtech company’s relationship with a customer does not end when a purchase is completed. Installation, training, technical support and ongoing product education all influence how healthcare providers experience the technology. Marketing teams can learn from feedback shared by clinicians, service staff and sales representatives. Their experiences can show where customers run into problems, which features need better explanation and where more support is needed. Companies can use this feedback to improve their product information and address common concerns. Digital channels have expanded the ways medtech companies reach healthcare audiences. Websites, educational content, virtual demonstrations and professional platforms allow buyers to research products before speaking with a representative. However, digital communication works best when the information is accurate, easy to navigate and relevant to the questions customers are trying to answer. Product information should also remain consistent across websites, sales presentations and training materials. When these sources contradict one another, customers may question the information they receive and the company providing it. “When marketing helps healthcare professionals make sense of a technology and assess its relevance to their work, it serves a purpose beyond promotion.” Adapting to a Changing Market Medtech marketing must keep pace with changing clinical needs, purchasing practices and technology. Healthcare organizations are increasingly attentive to how new products fit into existing systems, affect staff workloads and support the delivery of care. Companies need to address these considerations alongside product performance. Listening to healthcare professionals can help identify unmet needs and improve how products are presented. Marketing teams that work closely with product development, clinical specialists and customer support are better positioned to explain the practical value of a solution and respond to questions as they arise. Ultimately, effective medtech marketing is built on understanding, evidence and trust. Companies need to explain their products clearly, respect the needs of different decisionmakers and maintain an honest conversation about clinical value. When marketing helps healthcare professionals make sense of a technology and assess its relevance to their work, it serves a purpose beyond promotion. It helps connect medical innovation with the people who may benefit from it. ...Read more

Medical device manufacturers are increasingly turning to digital quality workflows to keep product development, documentation and production activities aligned. A medical device virtual quality management system company can help centralize quality records, automate routine approvals and provide teams with clearer visibility into ongoing processes. This can reduce manual coordination, improve document accuracy and help quality teams respond faster when issues arise. Connecting quality activities through a single digital environment also supports smoother collaboration between engineering, manufacturing, quality and other business functions, helping organizations maintain greater consistency as device operations become more complex. Regulatory Environment and Current Market Trends The regulatory requirements regarding the quality systems in the production of medical devices have been leaning more towards traceable records, restricted access, audit trails, change management, electronic signatures and reliable data. Manufacturers also need digital quality processes to provide clear evidence during audits and reviews. These requirements are encouraging businesses to strengthen their quality infrastructure and adopt systems capable of maintaining accurate records throughout the device lifecycle. The market demand is slowly shifting towards virtual quality management platforms that support distributed teams and connected manufacturing operations. Improved configurable workflows, electronic approvals, dashboards, automated notifications and quality data integration are becoming popular among businesses dealing with medical devices. These capabilities can help organizations maintain stronger oversight while connecting quality activities more closely with production processes. Cloud-based deployment is also gaining traction, with manufacturers seeking quality platforms that are easily accessible by multiple teams and locations. As solutions are evaluated, data traceability, system integration and control access are emerging as important factors. This market shift is creating demand for flexible platforms able to support different device categories and operating models with detailed quality requirements. Key Challenges in Medical Device Virtual Quality Management Systems and Their Solutions Data migration can become a major hurdle when medical device businesses move quality information from legacy applications into a virtual system. Incomplete records, incompatible formats and inconsistent historical data can complicate the transition and affect the reliability of information. A structured migration plan, supported by data cleansing, validation checks and staged transfers, can help preserve important records while reducing disruption to ongoing quality activities. User adoption represents yet another barrier, especially when employees have been using the quality management process in a particular way for years. There may be resistance when the introduction of the platform changes the existing practices or brings about new digital practices to be learned. Role-based training, practical demonstrations, and phased implementation can help employees understand the new processes and use the system correctly. Clear ownership of quality activities also helps teams adapt without creating confusion over responsibilities. Cybersecurity also becomes an important consideration since sensitive devices and valuable information move through the connected digital environment. Confidential records may be exposed and critical operations disrupted because of unauthorized access, compromised credentials, and security incidents. Implementing strong identity controls, multi-factor authentication, encryption, continuous monitoring and regular security assessments can enhance protection while helping organizations to identify vulnerabilities before they become major incidents. “Connecting quality activities through a single digital environment also supports smoother collaboration between engineering, manufacturing, quality and other business functions, helping organizations maintain greater consistency as device operations become more complex.” Maintaining system performance as quality operations expand can also present difficulties. Growing volumes of records, increasing numbers of users and more complex workflows can place additional demands on the platform. Scalable system architecture, routine performance monitoring, capacity planning and timely technical maintenance can help keep the platform responsive. Regular reviews can also identify areas requiring adjustment as business processes evolve. Future Prospects and Opportunities Intelligent technologies are increasingly providing insights to medical device manufacturers with new methods of quality issue discovery, complex data analysis and refinement of the quality processes. Future platforms may help identify unusual quality patterns, prioritize relevant information and generate deeper insights into recurring issues. Such capabilities could support earlier decision-making and give quality teams a stronger basis for evaluating process performance. There is an additional opportunity in the creation of virtual quality solution tools, which can be designed to cater to various phases of the medical device life cycle. Such platforms can become more focused on various areas such as supplier quality management, complaints handling, training management and post-market quality analysis through purpose-built capabilities. The wider scope can help technology providers meet specific MedTech requirements while also giving manufacturers more flexibility to select solutions that fit their individual quality needs. Such advancements can help to leverage the utility of virtual quality management far beyond regular quality administration. Medical device businesses adopting more intelligent and adaptable platforms could gain greater support for complex quality activities while responding more effectively to changing business requirements. Ongoing progress in automation, analytics and specialized digital capabilities is likely to generate new opportunities for quality technology providers and MedTech organizations. ...Read more

Sterilization of medical devices is crucial for healthcare safety, infection prevention, and maintaining medical practices. Technological advancements and the proliferation of complex devices have increased the importance of effective sterilization processes. Inadequate sterilization can introduce dangerous pathogens, threatening the safety of medical interventions.  Surgical instruments, catheters, and implants can cause post-operative infections, delayed healing, and even sepsis. Ensuring that all medical devices are sterile before use is essential to maintaining the highest standards of patient care. The complexity of modern medical devices, such as endoscopes, pacemakers, and prosthetics, presents unique challenges in sterilization. These devices often have intricate designs with small, hard-to-reach areas where pathogens can hide. Effective sterilization processes are necessary to ensure that even the most complex devices are free from contaminants. Maintaining effective sterilization processes is critical for regulatory compliance and mitigating the risks associated with non-compliance. Within the broader medical technology landscape, adherence to safety standards and product integrity remains fundamental to patient outcomes. In this context, D2 Creative operates within the medical technology landscape, supporting communication around sterilization compliance and safety standards. The company was awarded Digital Marketing Agency Company of the Year by MedTech Business Review for healthcare focus and clarity in regulated industry messaging. Advanced sterilization methods—such as ethylene oxide gas, hydrogen peroxide vapor, and gamma irradiation—are required to penetrate complex device structures without compromising functionality. Robust sterilization protocols also protect healthcare workers, as improperly sterilized instruments can expose providers to harmful pathogens and increase the risk of occupational infections. Devices used in surgeries or blood-related procedures may transmit bloodborne pathogens such as HIV or hepatitis if sterilization standards are not rigorously maintained. Proper sterilization protocols help prevent the spread of these dangerous microorganisms, protecting the health and safety of those who work in healthcare environments. Patients rely on healthcare providers to deliver safe and effective care, and any breach in sterilization protocols can erode this trust. Healthcare institutions demonstrate their commitment to patient safety and quality care, enhancing public confidence in their services. Sterilizing medical devices is a critical practice in healthcare that protects patients, healthcare workers, and the broader community. The importance of effective sterilization processes will only grow, underscoring the need for ongoing innovation and adherence to best practices in this vital area of healthcare. It is essential for preventing infections, ensuring patient safety, complying with regulatory standards, and maintaining trust in healthcare systems. ...Read more