Title :
Clinical engineers in the 21st century
Author :
Zambuto, Raymond Peter
Author_Institution :
Technology in Medicine, Inc., Holliston, MA, USA
Abstract :
The primary mission of clinical engineering for the past 40 years has been in areas of medical equipment and technology management. With the turn of the century, driven by the rise of information technology in healthcare, the focus of clinical engineering is shifting towards clinical systems integration, with a concentration in patient safety. This paper presents the historical roles of clinical engineers, recent changes in clinical engineering and future advances in clinical engineering.
Keywords :
biomedical engineering; health care; hospitals; patient care; clinical engineers; clinical systems integration; healthcare; information technology; medical equipment; patient safety; technology management; Biomedical engineering; Cities and towns; Clinical diagnosis; Design engineering; Engineering management; Hospitals; Legislation; Maintenance engineering; Medical diagnostic imaging; Safety devices;
Journal_Title :
Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/MEMB.2004.1317980
