SURGICAL PRACTICE research may receive a fillip in a new agreement due to be signed tomorrow by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, US.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between RCSI and Cleveland Clinic will enable the two institutions to “collaborate and share ideas on projects and activities” in education, research and innovation, according to the RCSI.
The agreement will focus on both surgical practice and development of medical devices. The Government has identified the medical device sector as a key area for growth in its strategy for economic recovery.
The MOU will allow the RCSI to perform clinical trials for medical devices seeking European Community approval, which will be of benefit to Cleveland and provide it with a “gateway” to the European market. It will also allow the Dublin institution to engage in trials requiring US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.
The RCSI has combined three centres – for innovation in surgical technology, for clinical research and development, and for national surgical training – into one institute. “Cleveland felt that we shared symmetries in these three areas,” Derek Young, head of RCSI’s surgical innovation centre, said, hence the decision to draw up a formal co-operative agreement.
Cleveland Clinic was cited as one of north America’s best hospitals in a US News World Report survey. It is a “not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical centre”, founded in 1921, which integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. The RCSI is also a not-for-profit organisation.
