Question, questions, everyone has questions about eSTAR 5.0, so I sat down with the FDA's Patrick Axtell to answer the most pressing ones I've received.

From file size to eSTAR type to biocompatibility - we cover it all.

When is it better for a medtech startup to hire a fractional quality professional, and when is it time to hire full-time?

This is not necessarily an easy question to answer, and there can be a lot of factors impacting the decision.

In this joint podcast with Mitch Robbins, we discuss the challenges and opportunities of today's topsy-turvy QA hiring market, and why many companies are opting for fractional QA professionals rather than full-time employees.

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As medical devices become more connected, concerns about security increase, leaving manufacturers - and regulatory staff - uncertain as to the best path forward. Listen in as Michelle and guest Randy Horton discuss industry needs and what the FDA plans to do to ensure the safety of connected and AI-driven devices.

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Website: https://leanraqa.com/

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Many manufacturers see quality as a necessary evil, a box to be checked just to placate the FDA on the way to market launch. But it can be SO much more.

In this episode, Ti Benson and I discuss how quality can actually be a business benefit and not simply something to be endured.

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Website: https://leanraqa.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leanRAQA

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You may think document control is boring, but wait until you hear these stories:

Red-lined post-it notes. Uncontrolled copies passed around during inspections. Master files stored on a desktop instead of in the eQMS system. Secret file cabinets in locked closets full of uncontrolled, red-lined specifications documents.

Oh, the joy of document control!

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Website: https://leanraqa.com/

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The best leaders know that quality is much more than a box to be checked, or a necessary evil to be endured along the road to FDA (or MDR) approval.

This is the third in a series of conversations talking about quality and how it can actually benefit a company, and even give you an advantage over your competition.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellelottraqa

Website: https://leanraqa.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leanRAQA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanraqa

MDR has been puzzling me for a few years now, and it's getting worse, not better. In this webinar hosted by Greenlight Guru, we look at the data gathered from recent MDCG guidance documents, industry and notified body surveys, and personal interviews with stakeholders (including notified bodies) who shared their first-hand experiences with implementation (spoiler alert: it ain't pretty).

Upload to EUDAMED is a requirement of MDR, but adoption has been slower than anticipated. Manufacturers are reluctant to invest in the time required to upload their product catalog, and the platform itself has been plagued with issues. Listen in as Richard Houlihan lifts the curtain on why industry has been reluctant to embrace EUDAMED and what the future might hold for both sides.

What happens when two regulatory consultants sit down for a chat about MDR?

A lot of distressed head shaking, for sure and an equal measure of what-were-they-thinking eye rolls, but we also dug into the meat of the proposed extension and what it might mean for industry.

Monir El Azzouzi and I chatted last month about MDR, and while we didn't solve all of the EU's problems, we did touch on some of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers.

Risk management can be difficult to understand, even for seasoned quality and regulatory professionals, because there are SO. MANY. ACRONYMS.

I mean, there's FMEA, uFMEA, ISO, FDA, PMA to name a few.

We discussed acronyms and more at the November meeting of the Dallas ASQ - Section 1402, so if you're ready to go beyond the basics and right into the very heart of risk management, then this is the podcast for you.