Evidence grades
- A
Verified
Confirmed by two independent sources or by direct observation.
- B
Direct interview
Stated by an identified, credible source.
- C
Public source
Published, not independently verified.
- D
Market rumour
Unverified. Marked as such and never the basis of a recommendation.
- Evidence dossier
- Sources with access dates, extracts from public registers, a log of meetings (date, place, role, topic), photographs taken with consent, documents received. You see how I reached each conclusion.
- Independence
- I take no commission, fee or success bonus from any distributor, partner or candidate I recommend. Any relationship that could influence a recommendation is declared to you in writing.
- Confidentiality
- Every client is covered by a confidentiality agreement. Your information is never used for anyone else.
- Personal data
- I process professional data only, on a lawful basis, under the GDPR. Personal data reaches you only under a data processing agreement.
- Integrity
- Access means legitimate professional meetings. No improper benefit to public officials or healthcare professionals. Hospitality stays reasonable and in line with the MedTech Europe Code of Ethical Business Practice.
How I gather evidence
- Most findings come from conversations I hold myself, in Romanian, face to face or by phone.
- Where I can, I choose whom to interview from a company's whole customer base, not only from the references it gives me.
- I check every interview for bias and relevance before it enters a report.
- Unusually positive or negative statements need a second source before I use them.
- People I interview stay anonymous unless they agree to be named. The report gives their role.
What I don't do
- I sell no products, no distribution and no implementation. I have no stake in whether you enter Romania.
- Distributors and partners cannot pay to be recommended.
- I take no follow-on work from a distributor I recommend.
- I take no commission, finder's fee or success bonus from anyone I recommend.
- I do not work for two direct competitors in the same product category at the same time without both agreeing in writing.
- I hold no shares in companies I assess.
- I never seek or pass on confidential information, or non-public information about tenders in progress.
- I give no gifts or payments to public officials or healthcare professionals to obtain access.
- I decline any project that would breach an obligation I owe someone else, and I stop any conversation that moves into a subject I may not discuss.
Limits of my work
- A report is market intelligence. It is not legal, regulatory, tax or investment advice. Where a question needs that, I say so; the Regulatory & Reimbursement Brief is checked by a legal specialist.
- Interviews show what informed people say. They are not a statistical sample, and I do not present them as one.
- Every finding is valid on the date it carries. Markets, rules and prices change, so I recheck figures before every report.
- Where I cannot find or verify something, the report says so and names what would settle it.
Corrections
If you think a finding of mine is wrong, write to catalin@calinoiu.com with what you believe is correct and why. I reply within five working days, client or not. If I was wrong, I correct the report. If the finding was published, the correction is published too.