PMCF Surveys for Medical Devices | EU MDR Level 4 Clinical Evidence | Eclevar MedTech
★ Platinum Award · xShare & EUCROF 2026

PMCF surveys that generate real clinical evidence under EU MDR.

Not all surveys are created equal. Eclevar MedTech designs Level 4 PMCF surveys for medical devices: MDCG 2020-7 compliant instruments accepted by Notified Bodies as primary clinical evidence, executed across France, the UK, Germany and beyond.

Level 4Quality standard
3 to 15Clinical sites
4 to 8 moTo CER evidence
160Countries via partners

Platinum Award, xShare Open Call for Clinical Research

Award ceremony on stage at the xShare and EUCROF Open Call Awards for Clinical Research in Amsterdam

The top Platinum Award went to Milo Health, the technology platform developed by Eclevar MedTech, at the xShare Open Call for Clinical Research organised by EUCROF. The same platform now powers our PMCF data collection.

xShare × EUCROF · Amsterdam · 2 Feb 2026

Co-funded by the European Union

Platinum Award, xShare Open Call for Clinical Research, organised by EUCROF and co-funded by the European Union. Amsterdam, 2 February 2026. Horizon Europe, Grant Agreement No. 101136734.

Compliant with EU MDR 2017/745 ISO 14155:2020 ISO 13485 21 CFR Part 11 GDPR MDCG 2020-7
PMCF survey options

The right instrument for your data.

Three families of PMCF surveys, each mapped to a specific evidence gap in your Clinical Evaluation Report.

Clinician-focused surveys

Clinical outcome surveys completed by healthcare professionals. The highest regulatory weight according to MDCG 2020-7, designed prospectively with pre-specified endpoints.

NB acceptedProspective
See Level 4 requirements →

Patient-reported outcomes

Validated PROM and ePRO instruments, licensed and scored according to developer specifications, with MCID thresholds pre-specified before the first response is collected.

Licensed PROMPre-specified MCID
See Level 4 requirements →

Registry-linked surveys

Surveys coupled with national implant registry data such as NJR or EPRD, giving long-term cross-validation of your clinical claims against real-world cohorts.

NJR / EPRDLong term
See Level 4 requirements →
Understanding surveys

What makes a PMCF survey valid under the MDR.

A PMCF survey is a structured data collection instrument designed to fill the gaps identified in your Clinical Evaluation Report. The word "survey" is often misleading: Level 4 surveys are methodologically equivalent to clinical investigations.

That is why Eclevar starts from the gaps in your PMCF Plan. Every instrument uses pre-specified endpoints, validated scales and defined MCID thresholds before collection begins, so the data lands as primary clinical evidence, not as supporting context.

Common mistake

A survey without a pre-specified Statistical Analysis Plan (SAP) is not MDCG 2020-7 compliant. Post-hoc analysis is one of the most frequent causes of non-compliance raised by Notified Body reviewers.

01 / Validated instrument

Published psychometrics

Scientific questionnaires with published psychometric properties. No marketing-style forms.

02 / Pre-specified SAP

Statistics defined upfront

Sample size justification and MCID success criteria fixed before the first data point.

03 / Multi-site execution

3 to 5 sites minimum

Site training and monitoring compliant with ISO 14155:2020, across countries where needed.

04 / CER traceability

Every objective justified

Each survey objective corresponds to a specific residual risk from the evaluation report.

Tiered solutions

Three tiers of PMCF surveys.

From primary evidence for Class IIb and III recertification to focused clinician and patient instruments.

Gold standard

High-Quality Level 4

The only tier acceptable for CER updates of Class IIb and III devices.

  • Validated instruments (EQ-5D, KOOS and similar)
  • Pre-specified SAP and MCID
  • 3 to 15 clinical sites
  • Ethics Committee approval
Request Level 4 →
HCP outcomes

Clinician surveys

Captures clinical performance and operator-reported outcomes from healthcare professionals.

  • Targeted HCP populations
  • Results-focused design
  • Multi-country, local languages
  • 50 to 200 respondents
Scope a clinician survey →
PROM / ePRO

Patient surveys

Licensed PROM instruments to collect functional outcome data directly from patients.

  • Full licensing agreements
  • Pre-specified MCID
  • GDPR pseudonymisation
  • eCOA and ePRO deployment
Scope a patient survey →
When to use a PMCF survey

Four scenarios where a survey is the ideal instrument.

Device families

When multiple variants require evidence simultaneously. An efficient strategy under MDR Article 61(2).

Long-term safety

Class III implants requiring 5 to 10 years of surveillance following the initial trials.

Closing CER gaps

Generate quality-of-life evidence within 4 to 8 months to meet recertification deadlines.

Real-world evidence

Capture experience in populations excluded from trials, such as elderly patients or those with comorbidities.

Why sponsors switch

A generic questionnaire versus Level 4 evidence.

Generic survey vendor

Data your Notified Body will question.

  • Marketing-style forms.No published psychometric properties, so the data cannot stand as primary evidence.
  • Post-hoc analysis.No pre-specified SAP, a frequent cause of MDCG 2020-7 non-compliance.
  • Single-site convenience samples.No ISO 14155 training or monitoring behind the responses.
  • No CER traceability.Objectives disconnected from the residual risks the survey was meant to close.
  • Deficiency letters later.The gap surfaces at recertification, when the deadline pressure is highest.
Eclevar Level 4 PMCF

Primary clinical evidence, first review.

  • Validated instruments.Licensed PROM and clinician scales with published psychometrics and pre-specified MCID.
  • SAP before data.Sample size justification and success criteria fixed before collection begins.
  • 3 to 15 sites under ISO 14155.Trained, monitored, multi-country execution in local languages.
  • Built from your CER gaps.Every objective traces to a residual risk in your evaluation report.
  • Former Notified Body reviewer in the loop.The design is challenged the way your reviewer will challenge it.
Trusted by manufacturers worldwide

They rely on Eclevar.

RegenLab logo Nihon Kohden logo Meril Life Sciences logo Shofu Inc. logo Vygon logo Mooloink logo Coloplast logo
Client success stories

PMCF programmes that passed review.

Eclevar MedTech and Nihon Kohden teams meeting in Japan
Nihon Kohden · Japan

PMCF strategy for a flagship neurodiagnostic platform

When Nihon Kohden needed to align the EEG-1200K with European Notified Body expectations, Eclevar rebuilt the clinical strategy and structured the PMCF programme so the evidence answered exactly what reviewers expect from a neuro device under MDR.

"Eclevar shared their expertise in a way that allowed us to create documentation perfectly adapted to our needs. The team responded promptly and flexibly." Product Manager, Nihon Kohden Corporation
Meril Life Sciences clinical evidence team
Meril Life Sciences · India

Level 4 surveys for cardiovascular devices

Design and execution of PMCF surveys providing primary clinical evidence for Class III cardiovascular and orthopaedic portfolios across multiple European sites.

Shofu Dental clinical evidence team
Shofu · Japan

Dental materials PMCF and equivalence

Structured PMCF strategies and equivalence assessments integrated directly into CERs, generating compliant post-market evidence for advanced dental and restorative technologies.

Eclevar MedTech is backed by institutional investors. We are privately owned and backed by private investors and venture capital, giving sponsors the stability of a partner built to follow Class III devices through 5 to 10 years of post-market surveillance.

Funding & investors
Senior management

The experts behind your evidence.

Your PMCF survey is designed and challenged by people who have sat on the reviewer's side of the table.

Prof. Mark DaCosta, COO and CMO Cardiovascular at Eclevar MedTech

Prof. Mark DaCosta

COO & CMO · Cardiovascular

Cardiac surgeon and former senior reviewer at a Notified Body (TÜV SÜD). He challenges every design the way your reviewer will.

Dr. Nikhil Khadabadi, CMO Orthopaedics and Spine at Eclevar MedTech

Dr. Nikhil Khadabadi

CMO · Orthopaedics & Spine

Leads clinical strategy for orthopaedic and spine devices, including registry-linked PMCF programmes.

Pierre-Marie Boutanquoi, Head of Medical Writing at Eclevar MedTech

Pierre-Marie Boutanquoi

Head of Medical Writing

Turns survey outputs into CER-ready evidence with full traceability to your PMCF Plan.

Sébastien Meier Piantanida, Chief Data Officer at Eclevar MedTech

Sébastien Meier Piantanida

Chief Data Officer

Owns the MILO eCOA and ePRO stack, data integrity and 21 CFR Part 11 compliant exports.

Charline Petitdemange, Lead Clinical Project Manager at Eclevar MedTech

Charline Petitdemange

Lead Clinical Project Manager

Pilote la réalisation des investigations cliniques et études PMCF en Europe. Qualification des sites, monitoring, TMF, ISO 14155:2020. Master Ingénierie de la Santé (Université Grenoble Alpes). Parcours : recherche clinique, cardiovasculaire, usability medical devices.

Karina Schönborn, Head of Partnerships at Eclevar MedTech

Karina Schönborn

Head of Partnerships

Your first contact for scoping calls, PMCF strategy alignment and sponsor relationships.

News & events

Latest from our European team.

Eclevar MedTech at EuroPCR 2026 in Paris, 19 to 22 May, with Chems Hachani, Prof. Mark DaCosta, Charline Petitdemange and Sebastien Meier Piantanida
Event : Paris : 19 to 22 May 2026

Meet us at EuroPCR 2026

The Eclevar team, including our former Notified Body expert, on what cardiovascular trials and PMCF programmes need to satisfy Notified Body review.

Book a meeting ↗
Prof. Mark DaCosta speaker panel at CSI Frankfurt on the impact of MDR on device introduction and innovation, 3 June 2026
Speaker panel : Frankfurt : 3 June 2026

Impact of MDR on device innovation

Prof. Mark DaCosta, COO and former Notified Body expert, joins the CSI Frankfurt speaker panel on EU MDR and the introduction of new devices.

See the session ↗
MILO platform clinical trial forecasting interface with three costed scenarios and recruitment curve
Platform : Clinical trial forecasting

From an 8-week RFP to a 30-minute roadmap

Our award-winning platform reads a protocol and returns three costed scenarios, swift, base and conservative, plus a recruitment forecast.

Explore the platform ↗
Expert guides

Read and unlock our guides.

Practical references written by our consultants. Enter your business email to unlock the download.

Guide · PMCF

Designing a Level 4 PMCF survey that passes first review

How to architect PMCF surveys and registries that satisfy Notified Bodies without draining your clinical budget.

Guide · PMCF

Level 4 PMCF surveys for orthopaedic and spine implants

Choosing between licensed PROMs, clinician surveys and national registry linkage for long-term safety data.

Guide · Clinical evaluation

Reforming clinical evaluation of medical devices in Europe

Where EU MDR clinical evaluation is heading and what it means for your PMCF and CER cycles.

FAQ

PMCF surveys, answered.

What is a Level 4 PMCF survey under EU MDR?
A Level 4 PMCF survey is a structured data collection instrument that is methodologically equivalent to a clinical investigation: a validated instrument with published psychometric properties, a pre-specified Statistical Analysis Plan with sample size justification and MCID success criteria, multi-site execution, and full traceability to the gaps identified in the Clinical Evaluation Report. It is the quality tier Notified Bodies accept as primary clinical evidence.
Why are many PMCF surveys rejected by Notified Bodies?
The most frequent cause is the absence of a pre-specified Statistical Analysis Plan: post-hoc analysis is not compliant with MDCG 2020-7. Other common causes are non-validated marketing-style questionnaires, missing MCID thresholds, single-site convenience samples and objectives that do not trace back to residual risks in the CER.
Which survey type should I choose: clinician, patient or registry-linked?
Clinician-focused surveys completed by healthcare professionals carry the highest regulatory weight under MDCG 2020-7. Patient-reported instruments (licensed PROM and ePRO) capture functional outcomes with pre-specified MCID. Registry-linked surveys couple your data with national implant registries such as NJR or EPRD for long-term cross-validation. The right choice depends on the gaps in your PMCF Plan and your device class.
How long does a PMCF survey take from design to report?
A focused survey designed to close CER gaps can generate quality-of-life evidence within 4 to 8 months, which makes it suitable for recertification deadlines. Long-term safety surveillance for Class III implants typically runs 5 to 10 years following the initial trials.
Can a PMCF survey cover a whole device family?
Yes. When multiple variants require evidence simultaneously, a well-designed survey is an efficient strategy under MDR Article 61(2), provided endpoints, populations and analysis are pre-specified for each variant or grouping.
How is the data kept compliant with 21 CFR Part 11 and GDPR?
Eclevar deploys surveys natively on the MILO eCOA and ePRO module: every response is timestamped, stored immutably and exportable with a SHA-256 checksum for data integrity, with GDPR pseudonymisation applied to patient-level data.
Free · 30 minutes · No obligation

Your current CER should be the last one with a major non-compliance.

Book a gap analysis for your PMCF surveys. We will define exactly what is required to get approval on the first try.

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Reforming Clinical Evaluation of Medical Devices in Europe