Developing a policy and procedure framework and manual for a national comprehensive implantable medical device registry in Saudi Arabia

Policy and procedure manuals provide guidance on the operation and governance of medical device registries. In Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has been developing and implementing a comprehensive national registry for implantable medical devices to facilitate the monitoring of device outcomes through post-market surveillance studies. To help guide the operations of this registry, the SFDA developed a policy and procedure manual. This paper reports on the design of the framework used to develop that manual over the course of one year (2015-2016), using a variety of literature sources, and working with medical device registry and health systems experts. The policy and procedure manual included five key principal level categories, which led to the subsequent creation of seven policies and 28 relevant procedures. The five principal categories were: Staff Engagement, Information Governance, Quality and Auditing, Research, and Reporting. The results of this work could be used to guide the development of policies and procedures for other implantable medical device registries.