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The Importance of Collaboration

We see firsthand the profound impact physicians have on developing innovative, life-changing therapies. Our first revolutionary product – a wearable, battery-powered cardiac pacemaker developed in the 1950s – was the result of a close collaboration between Medtronic co-founder Earl Bakken and pioneering heart surgeon Dr. C. Walton Lillehei of the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Physician collaboration is critical for three key reasons:

Provide Medical Expertise

Innovative medical products require both technological and medical expertise to develop. Medical device companies can provide needed technology requirements – such as materials science, bioengineering, and manufacturing – but it’s important to seek cutting-edge medical expertise from physicians who are working with patients and our products every day. We work with physicians to provide deep understanding of areas such as physiology, pathology, anatomy, and epidemiology — and to provide important perspectives on the design and use of our therapies.

Meet Patient Needs

With soaring chronic disease rates and healthcare costs, there is more demand than ever for medical innovations that can transform lives. By working with physicians who treat patients directly, we can more quickly develop and advance effective and safe therapies that meet specific patient needs.

Ensure Patient Safety

Medical devices include sophisticated technologies that require deep knowledge about how they work in the body, on how to deliver them, and how to program them. Physicians play a key role in educating other physicians how to use our therapies safely and effectively.

Last updated: 23 Jan 2013

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For more information on physician collaboration and payments, please contact us.