BackTable / VI / Podcast / Episode #300
Which Medical Device, a Tool to Help you Choose
with Dr. Philip Haslam
In this episode, co-hosts Dr. Aaron Fritts and Dr. Diana Velazquez-Pimentel interview Dr. Phil Haslam, founder of Which Medical Device and current president of BSIR, about the process of creating a resource bank of medical devices that spans multiple specialties.
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BackTable, LLC (Producer). (2023, March 10). Ep. 300 – Which Medical Device, a Tool to Help you Choose [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.backtable.com
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Podcast Contributors
Dr. Philip Haslam
Dr. Philip Haslam is a consultant interventional radiologist and the founder of Which Medical Device.
Dr. Diana Velazquez-Pimentel
Dr. Diana Velazquez-Pimentel is practicing physician and an NHS Clinical Entrepreneur in London.
Dr. Aaron Fritts
Dr. Aaron Fritts is a Co-Founder of BackTable and a practicing interventional radiologist in Dallas, Texas.
Synopsis
Dr. Haslam began his career as a clinician in medicine, but always knew he wanted to do radiology, specifically interventional radiology. In the UK, you have to train in either medicine or surgery before subspecialty training. He had been an IR consultant for around 8 years when he suddenly couldn’t find the right t-fasteners for a gastrostomy tube placement. He searched the internet for alternatives, but realized it was very cumbersome to complete such a search. Around this same time, he was getting into photography and frequented the website DP Review, which was a way to browse different lenses and parts for cameras, with ratings and information about the pieces. Inspired by this website, he thought a similar website for IR devices would be helpful to clinicians who practice in different environments and are required to know different devices.
He began by finding a local web developer and used his own money to pay for the initial website development. He then began loading products he had used, specifically devices he liked or didn’t like. He started telling colleagues about the website, and the word spread fast. What he found difficult was not traction to the website, but getting members to contribute to content, such as writing device ratings or uploading instructional videos. After a couple years, he decided to branch outside of IR into other device heavy specialties like cardiothoracics and orthopedics. He asked colleagues from other specialties to contribute as editors. Dr. Haslam believes the high traction in the IR device section is due to his frequent attendance of conferences, as well as his relationships with industry.
Finally, we discuss future goals for Which Medical Device. Dr. Haslam hopes to upload more instructional videos to the website and the YouTube page. Additionally, he plans to bolster his editorial board to include even more specialties. He encourages people to engage by suggesting new devices for the website; they can do so via the home page of the website. He will add more in-depth reviews and device comparisons, as well as launch a device of the month column.
Resources
Website:
https://www.whichmedicaldevice.com
YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYnn3mCZGfgbUJmmehopcnw
Email:
phil@whichmedicaldevice.com
British Society of Interventional Radiology:
https://www.bsir.org
Disclaimer: The Materials available on BackTable.com are for informational and educational purposes only and are not a substitute for the professional judgment of a healthcare professional in diagnosing and treating patients. The opinions expressed by participants of the BackTable Podcast belong solely to the participants, and do not necessarily reflect the views of BackTable.