The role of industry in the implantation and follow-up of devices: a practitioner's perspective.

Implantable cardiac rhythm management devices continue to get more technologically complex at a pace that is difficult for most clinicians to keep up with. We have come to rely heavily on industry representatives to provide technical expertise during device implantation and follow-up. Concern has been raised about the involvement of medical device industry representatives in the clinical environment. Guidelines have been published that acknowledge the importance of device industry representatives in providing technical expertise and assistance, while also clarifying the role these representatives should play in patient care. The main principles from published policy statements are summarized, emphasizing that the physician remains responsible for the patient's overall care as well as device function and programming.