Investigating the technical and legal barriers to medical device repair in Canada
About the project
Unlocking Healthcare investigates the technical and legal barriers to the independent repair and servicing of software-dependent medical devices in Canadian hospitals.
Research
Our multi-year project is comprised of three phases of research and reporting. Our first phase – understanding the technical and legal barriers from the perspective of biomedical engineering technologists – is currently underway.
Team
Unlocking Healthcare is led by Anthony D. Rosborough, Assistant Professor Law & Computer Science at Dalhousie University. The project is also supported by policy researcher Alicia Demanuele.
SSHRC Support
Unlocking Healthcare is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) through an Insight Development Grant. This funding supports our research into the legal and technical barriers to medical device repair in Canadian hospitals and helps advance evidence-based approaches to improving repairability, access, and resilience in Canada’s healthcare system.
Interviews
Phase 1 of the Unlocking Healthcare research project involved qualitative research interviews with biomedical engineers and engineering technologists. These interviews were 45-60 minutes in length and conducted via Microsoft Teams.
Participant consent forms and research ethics documentation were provided to interviewees in advance. Phase 1 was completed in late 2024.
Survey
Phase 2 of the Unlocking Healthcare research project involves a national survey examining technical, legal, and practical barriers to the repair and maintenance of software-dependent medical devices in Canada. The survey is directed toward biomedical and clinical engineers, biomedical engineering technologists and technicians, and independent medical device service professionals working within the Canadian healthcare sector.
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