Originally Published EMDM January 2006
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
New Rules for the New Year
Topical humorist Bill Maher routinely ends his cable television show Real Time with a segment called New Rules. Using his incisive wit and a good dose of irreverence, Maher exposes simple truths—from “everyone has to stop pretending that Woody Allen movies don’t completely suck” to “it doesn’t make me un-American to say I’d rather live in Paris than in some place where cheese only comes in individually wrapped slices.”
Rules are important, Maher writes in a foreword to his just-published book, New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer. “They provide structure. When we disregard the rules altogether we get anarchy or, worse yet, Enron.” As I was leafing through the book, it occurred to me that our industry could use a few new rules, as well. Here are some suggestions for 2006.
You can’t spend two years drafting a report on the competitiveness of the EU medical device industry only to conclude that further analysis is required to draw conclusions, and to then draw conclusions.
The European Commission’s Directorate General Enterprise and Industry commissioned the study in July 2003. The Pammolli report, named after lead investigator Fabio Pammolli, was released this summer. It did not garner stunning reviews. In fact, EUCOMED director of economic affairs Rosanna Tarricone was quoted as saying that the report’s true outcome is that no firm conclusions can be drawn without further analysis. Tarricone went on to note that, while the investigators clearly say that no conclusive recommendations can be drawn based on the current evidence, they blithely ignored their own advice and drew conclusions. Not surprisingly, many of the recommendations have been roundly criticized by industry.
Your legal disclaimer cannot be longer than the actual press release.
Honestly, I have received press releases with a two-paragraph announcement of dubious news followed by a five-paragraph disclaimer. These press releases typically are issued by large US-based firms, and I understand that they must do their part to employ the legions of lawyers that enter the workforce each year. But can’t they find something more productive for them to do than to explain in dense prose why the company cannot be held accountable for the claims it made in the first two paragraphs?
A <400 hotel room must have high-speed Internet access.
I don’t care if it is Düsseldorf and it’s Medica week—you can’t charge that kind of money and offer last century’s technology. And no, a complimentary pack of Basler Lackerli sweets is not adequate consolation. On a general note, could someone explain to me why several luxury hotels in Paris were recently fined for conspiring to fix prices, while hotels in Düsseldorf quadruple their rates with impunity whenever a trade show pulls into town?
If your product has a rare but nasty side effect like, say, SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST, don’t presume that consumers won’t notice.
They will, and they will be plenty mad when they do.
Before using an acronym in your company literature, ask around and see if anyone else knows what it means.
The people who write company literature just can’t get enough of TLAs (i.e., three-letter acronyms, to the uninitiated). You might think it adds technical gravitas to your text; frankly, it just annoys those of us who are trying to figure out what the hell you’re talking about. If I can’t find it in my online acronym finder, chances are that you just made it up. And since we’re discussing the virtue of clarity . . .
The “what we do” tab on your Internet page should explain, well, what you do.
Some companies seem to think a clear explanation of their business activities is so passé. This is especially true of software developers and advanced electronics firms that don’t simply make products but “engineer solutions.” What the solutions are for, exactly, can remain clouded in mystery. My suggestion: leave the obfuscation to professionals, such as EC bureaucrats and the current US administration.
And here’s an old rule that needs no revision: Have a healthy, prosperous, and happy new year.
Copyright ©2006 European Medical Device Manufacturer
