Future of Clinical Engineering

Definition of Clinical Engineering American College of Clinical Engineering (ACCE) defines a clinical engineer as: “A professional who supports and advances patient care by applying engineering and management skills to healthcare technology”.

Clinical Engineer’s Role considered in “Context” Future of CE role can only be predicted by understanding: The future developments in healthcare and the forces likely to bring that future about. Clinical engineering’s ability to contribute to future needs with respect to those developments.

Four Primary Forces Affecting the Future of Healthcare Industry Technological. Economic. Cultural/demographic. Regulatory.

Technological Forces Mapping the human genome. Advancement in micro and nanotechnology. Exponential growth in information processing capacity and availability. Connectivity of technologies. Introduction of autonomic systems . (define???).

Economic Forces Decreasing the cost of healthcare while increasing its quality. Advancement of healthcare industry by new medical technology increases healthcare cost.

Demographic/Cultural Forces Advancement in medical science and technology increases average of human age. Shifting demographics will cause nation’s healthcare to shift from acute episodic to chronic conditions. The availability of effective and affordable healthcare becomes a critical quality of life issue.

Regulatory Forces Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA)’s Administrative Simplification. Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports on Quality and Safety. Industry efforts.

Net Impact of Technological, Regulatory, Financial & Social Forces Healthcare industry will increasingly focus on the long-term treatment of chronic conditions for an aging patient population. Population will expect high quality care that is both readily available and reasonably priced. Technological advances will facilitate the industry’s ability to meet these demands. Regulatory pressures will foster better integration of healthcare services & healthcare quality.

Strategic Inflection points A term that describes the time in which extreme forces forever alter the landscape of an industry, creating both opportunities and challenges.

Clinical Engineering is at a Strategic Inflection Point Technological Economic Demographic & Culture Regulatory

To prosper on the other side of a strategic inflection point, CEs must take action before getting there.

Eleven Key Steps CEs Must Take to Prepare for their Future Role

Eleven Key Steps CEs Must Take to Prepare for their Future Role Adopt a systems & process approach Add basic information technology & telecommunication skills Monitor technological, regulatory, economic and other developments (forces) affecting healthcare Become conversant in the “business” of technology

Eleven Key Steps CEs Must Take to Prepare for their Future Role Plan for the integration of existing and new medical technologies Develop systems & infrastructure to support technology in non non-traditional venues Closely examine existing clinical engineering services & practices Incorporate continuing education

Eleven Key Steps CEs Must Take to Prepare for their Future Role Build relationships with other stakeholders. Develop a plan to transition from existing to future services. Formulate a vision for clinical engineering within the organization

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Papers: Author Title Stephen S. Boochever HIS/RIS/PACS Integration: Getting to the Gold Standard