Medical Design and Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech

Hiring the right freelance consultant

September 2, 2020 By Nancy Crotti

Medtech manufacturers have access to a large talent pool of PhDs, post docs and others whom they can approach when needed to streamline the journey from product idea to market.

Ramya Sriram, Kolabtree

(Image courtesy of Science in HD on Unsplash)

Medical device manufacturers may not always have all the skills to successfully bring a device to market in-house. In these circumstances, manufacturers with smaller internal teams can look for these skills elsewhere. For example, an increasing number of working professionals, including medical consultants in a range of fields, now choose to work remotely or as freelancers to have more flexibility.

Why hire a consultant?

Freelance scientists and researchers can support medtech manufacturers in a variety of ways, such as developing a device’s design, troubleshooting problems or preparing documentation for the regulatory approval process. This help is particularly beneficial to smaller companies that may not have sufficient funds to hire a full-time team member. Instead, they can access expertise and hire them solely for the duration of the project. Using freelancers also gives manufacturers access to a wider talent pool because there are no geographical limitations to their collaboration.

Find the right expertise

However, introducing an external specialist to a project is not as simple as advertising a project and hiring the best fit. Manufacturers should carefully consider how to find the person with the best skills for the project while also protecting their property.

Manufacturers that use an online platform to search for a consultant should post a clear explanation of the job. Including a brief project description as well as details such as expertise required, project duration and budget means that the right consultants will find the project and apply.

Protect your company

Protecting intellectual property (IP) should always be a priority. Organizations may have concerns when working with freelancers or remote workers and feel reluctant to share sensitive data with someone who is not part of the company.

If they manage the process properly, medical device manufacturers can confidently share proprietary information and ideas with others. Applying for patents or registering designs or trademarks can be a good first step to safeguarding products when working with external collaborators.

How much information can you share knowing that some applicants will not work on the project?Manufacturers should look closely at the terms and conditions when looking for a freelance consultant on an online platform. These conditions should include a confidentiality clause that protects the client’s IP and gives freelancers the right to use only information or materials that are necessary for working on the project. The clause should also specify that the freelancer will return or destroy any information as requested by the client once the project is complete.

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) can also lessen worry during collaborations. Manufacturers can ask potential collaborators to sign these documents before disclosing any information about the project. Once they’ve chosen a medical device consultant, manufacturers can discuss the project in more detail, feeling safe in the knowledge that they have protected their IP.

Ramya Sriram manages digital content and communications at Kolabtree, a freelancing platform for scientists. She has over a decade of experience in publishing, advertising and digital content creation.

The opinions expressed in this blog post are the author’s only and do not necessarily reflect those of Medical Design and Outsourcing or its employees.

Related Articles Read More >

A portrait of Proximie CEO Nadine Hachach-Haram
They said it at DeviceTalks Boston
Marketing image for Diversity by Doing HealthTech DxD
Summer health technology program brings diverse group of interns to Silicon Valley
Medtronic HeartWare HVAD
Another Medtronic HVAD recall is serious
A cylindrical-shaped medical device with a blue cap on one end and a brown cap on the other
How SeaStar’s device calms hyperinflammation — and could prevent lasting damage from COVID cytokine storms

DeviceTalks Weekly.

June 24, 2022
How innovative design, commercial strategy is building Cala Trio’s bioelectronic medicine market
See More >

MDO Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Subscribe to Medical Design & Outsourcing. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading medical design engineering magazine today.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
DeviceTalks

DeviceTalks is a conversation among medical technology leaders. It's events, podcasts, webinars and one-on-one exchanges of ideas & insights.

DeviceTalks

New MedTech Resource

Medical Tubing

Enewsletter Subscriptions

Enewsletter Subscriptions

MassDevice

Mass Device

The Medical Device Business Journal. MassDevice is the leading medical device news business journal telling the stories of the devices that save lives.

Visit Website
MDO ad
Medical Design and Outsourcing
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • MedTech 100 Index
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • R&D World
  • About Us/Contact
  • Advertise With Us
  • Subscribe to Print Magazine
  • Subscribe to E-newsletter
  • Attend our Monthly Webinars
  • Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
  • Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media LLC. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech