Measuring the level of medical technology in hospitals

To determine the appropriate level of clinical engineering support for a hospital, it is important to know both the size of the hospital (number of staffed beds) and the level of medical technology provided by the hospital (relative to other hospitals of the same size). A study of medium-to-large community hospitals has shown that a measure using published data regarding the availability of various high-technology facilities and services is a reliable and valid indicator of the level of medical technology in a hospital. Detailed findings are presented, including a comparison of this measure with two subjective ratings.<>