Originally Published MX March/April 2003
EDITOR'S PAGE
Of Technology and Torts
On the morning of February 1, Americans awoke to the disturbing news that the nation's space program had suffered a profound tragedy. Streaking across the crisp blue sky of the American Southwest toward a landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle Columbia had suddenly disintegrated, killing all seven of the astronauts aboard and scattering remnants of the spacecraft across several states.
In the weeks since that tragic accident, NASA engineers have been working diligently to understand what went wrong to cause the shuttle to burn up on reentry. Overseen by an independent investigative board, NASA's inquiries are expected to take several months.
Analysts interviewed during the early days of the inquiry pointed to several potential causes, including the dated design of the space shuttle and its heat-protective tiles. But unlike previous instances in which the space program had suffered a tragedy—including the 1986 explosion of the shuttle Challenger during lift-off—there were few calls for an end to the program. President Bush was quick to reaffirm that America's manned space program would continue.
More than one commentator said that tragedies such as those of Challenger and Columbia remind us that manned space flight is inherently risky. America's astronauts understand those risks, they said, and the nation supports continuation of the program in spite of its perils.
Executives of medical technology companies whose products are on the cutting edge of medical diagnosis and treatment have something in common with the leaders of America's space program—but public support may not be among those shared characteristics. And in this year, when legislative sentiment in favor of tort reform seems to be gaining momentum, such a lack of public support could hurt medtech manufacturers.
To ensure that tort reform does not impede the ability of medtech companies to continue developing advanced medical technologies, medtech company leaders should see to it that the public understands both the risks and the benefits of their products.
Copyright ©2003 MX
