MedAcuity and Fathom Consulting are joining forces to help medical device firms with human factors engineering.

User experience plays a significant role in determining whether a medical device can be used correctly and safely both today and in the future. Human factors engineering (HFE), focused on facilitating safe and effective use, is a critical aspect of today’s medical device development.  Adding the consideration of the usability of a product, and the risks its use may pose, during medical software development ultimately enables OEMs to offer safe, innovative new devices that will consistently perform as intended.

From product ideation to deployment and maintenance, clients in the MedTech space will benefit from MedAcuity’s strong technical execution and software development expertise coupled with Fathom’s in-depth design practices. MedAcuity is a Boston-based software development partner for medtech companies, while Fathom Consulting is a Minneapolis-based human-centered design consultancy providing extensive user experience (UX) design capabilities, to support the full-service needs of medical device clients.

“Having already worked with Fathom on several successful projects, I am thrilled to formalize our partnership,” said Andy D’Amore, senior vice president of business development, MedAcuity.“Fathom brings to bear critical design practice capabilities and best-in-class processes. With our shared commitment to customer success, together we believe that we can offer our mutual clients incredible value.” 
 
Companies in the medtech sector are increasingly being driven by U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines around UX-based design practices. Both MedAcuity and Fathom are highly experienced in designing and developing for this heavily regulated industry. The safety, reliability, and security of medical devices is a key focus of the software MedAcuity develops for its clients. Concurrently, Fathom is highly qualified and specialized in UX design with a focus on design research, usability, and safety.
 
MedAcuity has over a decade of experience delivering software solutions for clients’ most critical application development challenges for all classes of medical devices. Its capabilities includefirmware and embedded systems development; mobile, application and GUI development; cloud and enterprise technologies; software design and development methodologies for heavy compliance-driven regulated environments; and cybersecurity strategy.
 
For over 20 years, Fathom Consulting has taken a human-centered approach to improving products, services, and operations for clients across the healthcare ecosystem—including providers, payers, pharmacy, and medical device companies. With a rich understanding of clinicians, patients, and deep expertise in human factors engineering, Fathom ensures products are designed with users’ needs at the forefront. Fathom’s areas of practice support clients as they examine concepts, implement device design, test and train users, and prepare for FDA submission.

“We look forward to being able to best serve our shared clients through this partnership,” said Kate McRoberts, managing partner, Fathom. “Focusing on the interaction between users and devices during even the earliest stages of medical product development is essential. Together with MedAcuity, we’ll be able to ensure that everything from the software to the user interface is optimally designed to work cohesively for maximum efficacy and better user experience.”