Technology Evaluation
A guide for authors submitting to the Expert Collection
Aim
Expert Opinion articles have been engineered specifically for the online environment. The manuscript structure is designed to draw the time-constrained reader directly to the information they require.
The aim of a Technology Evaluation is to provide a concise review of the design, basic technology, clinical use, and future potential of a specific novel or emerging drug delivery device/application/technology platform with strong scientific evidence in the primary literature.
The following list includes examples of topics that can be covered for various indications:
Pulmonary drug delivery
Ocular drug delivery
Buccal drug delivery
Sublingual drug delivery
Oral drug delivery
Nasal drug delivery
Vaginal/anal drug delivery
Injectable drug delivery
Topical drug delivery
Drug/device combination drug delivery
Novel and emerging routes of delivery
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Focus
The primary focus of the article should be clinically focused and may include post-marketing findings for the device. Using the literature reviewed, the authors are encouraged to provide a critical appraisal of the most important and up-to-date information and discuss how the technology is likely to impact on the clinical management/treatment of specific diseases.
Authors should focus their discussion primarily to the indication described in the article title, but other indications may be discussed as well. It is recommended that national/regional regulatory product guidelines are followed, particularly in terms of indications and dosage. When a device/application/technology is discussed outside of its approved license, readers should be made aware of this fact in the first instance.
Audience
The audience for the Expert Collection series consists of clinicians, academics, research scientists, decision-makers and a range of professionals in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, and healthcare community. Authors should bear in mind the multidisciplinary status of the readership when writing the article.
Word limit
The word limit for Technology Evaluations is 3,000-5,000 words (not including figures, tables and references).
Timing
Several factors contribute to the selection of devices and technologies to be reviewed, including scientific need, emergence of new important clinical data, market launches/approval of new indications, and the requirement for an alternative appraisal of the literature. So, timing is critical, and it is important that the deadlines set by the Commissioning Editor are met. However, if there is a need to delay publication, for instance to discuss new data presented at a scientific meeting or to coincide with the publication of primary literature, the Commissioning Editor will be happy to accommodate such requests.
Every article must contain
Please note that only the address of the first author of the article will appear on Medline/PubMed, not necessarily the corresponding author.
The aim of the abstract is to draw in the interested reader and provide an accurate reflection of the content of the paper. We therefore request the following structure is followed for full-length review articles:
Introduction: Authors are required to describe the significance of the topic under discussion.
Areas covered: Authors are required to describe the research discussed and the literature search undertaken.
Expert Opinion: The author’s expert view on the current status of the field under discussion.
Overview of the market
What are the unmet needs of currently available devices/applications/technologies?
Specific populations the device/application/technology may be used for (e.g. elderly, pediatric populations etc.)
Introduction to the device/application/technology
How the device/application/technology works
Cost-effectiveness (training, waste disposal, equipment required…)
Performance standards
Safety and complications
Contraindications
Clinical profile and post-marketing findings
Data from pre-FDA approval studies
Data from post-FDA approval studies (if approved)
Include a table summarizing ongoing and completed clinical trials of the device/application/technology
Alternative devices
A standalone box, summarizing competing technologies in the field
Conclusion
A short summary of the data presented in the review.
To distinguish articles published in the series of journals, authors must provide an additional section entitled Expert opinion. This section affords authors the opportunity to go beyond the conclusion and provide their interpretation of the data presented in the article, discussing any improvements the device has over currently available therapies and how likely physicians are to convert to treatment with the device.
In addition, there is the opportunity to discuss the developments that are likely to be important in the future and the avenues of research likely to become exciting as further studies yield more detailed results.
Authors are also challenged to include a speculative viewpoint on how the field will have evolved 5 years from the point at which the review was written.