1. Biomedical Technology Online Courses for the Americas
Tobey Clark, University of Vermont USA
Alexandre Lemgruber and Francisco Caccavo, Pan American Health Organization USA
Tatiana Molina Velasquez, Universidad CES, Colombia
Federico Graciá, Universidad Technologica National – Facultad Regional Mendoza, Argentina
Rossana Rivas and Luis Vilcahuaman, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

2. Why Online Learning? Asynchronous – 24x7 access
Online educational resources always available
Does not interfere with work or other activities
Cyberspace – no limitation on location
Just need a computer and connection
No travel time
No set scheduling
No travel costs – gas, parking, tolls, tickets

3. Key attribute of online courses:
Full Use of the World Wide Web Resources!
Documents
E.g. WHO Medical Device site
Tutorials
Case studies
Scenarios
Videos
Academic, YouTube, Industry
Computer-based simulations
From the EMS Professional website

4. Need for Training in Developing Countries
Limited medical device regulations,
A high percentage of devices that are out of service,
Weak after sale device support with nearly all service from manufacturers or their representatives,
A shortage of technical staff in hospitals with few trained in medical technology support
Very limited maintenance budget, and
Limited technology management

5. Project Funding
Grant submitted to PAHO Foundation* in December 2005 to develop a bilingual on-line course in Medical Equipment Technology and Clinical Engineering
Original Funding June 2006-July 2008
Course in English completed and taught in year one
Course in Spanish completed and taught in year two
More recent funding
WHO & PAHO 2009 (Eastern Caribbean students)
PAHO Foundation (UTN Mendoza)
PAHO 2015 (HT Planning & Management course)
* PAHO Foundation (formerly called the Pan American Health & Education Foundation), Washington, DC, USA

6. Collaboration: Bilingual, Adapted for the Americas
A collaborative effort
University of Vermont - UVM (USA)
Universidad – CES (Colombia)
Universidad Católica – PUCP (Peru)

7. Course Audience Designed for
Primary: Technical staff in hospitals – BMET, electricians, maintenance and other technical personnel
Engineers without training in medical equipment, life sciences, healthcare, and other areas – career changers
Nursing and other clinicians
Administrators and managers

8. On-line training courses
Areas covered for each device/topic area:
Principles of operation
Proper clinical application
Device safety
Common problems and solutions
Inspection, testing and preventative maintenance
Technology management

9. Biomedical Equipment Technology Sequence*
Three online courses plus one laboratory course
Patient Care Equipment **
Anatomy/physiology, engineering principles, common bedside equipment
Advanced Medical Equipment Systems **
Imaging, surgical systems, therapy, laboratory, clinical information systems
Medical Equipment Application
One week hands-on laboratory course/internship in hospital
Healthcare Technology Planning & Management
Convergence of technology, health technology life cycle, clinical engineering, global HTM
* 2015 University of Vermont course sequence
** Original PAHO Foundation funded courses

10. Initial Course Evaluations
Vermont
Students: 80% engineering 10% nursing, 10% miscellaneous
Approval rating: 100%
Colombia 2008
Students: 56% engineering; 44% miscellaneous
Approval Rating: 85%
Peru 2008
Students: 100% professionals - engineering, nursing, and technicians

11. PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health
The PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health offers over 100 courses with adult learners from 140+ institutions enrolled from the Americas
“The Virtual Campus of Public Health is a network of people, institutions and organizations that share courses, resources, services and activities of education, information and knowledge management in training, with the common purpose of improving the skills of the workforce and practices of public health through the development and innovative use of information and communication technologies for continuous improvement in the performance of continuing education programs in health”
September 2014, the original PAHO foundation funded biomedical technology online courses were placed on the PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health
Reaches adult learners in the healthcare system in the Americas who do not have funding for university courses

12. PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health
Introduction to Biomedical Technology 100% online course
Patient Care and Advanced Technology courses combined into one seven (7) month course
Healthcare environment; review of the human body and technical principles; intensive care equipment, imaging, surgical, laboratory, therapy, and clinical information systems
52 participants chosen through a very careful selection process
Course in Spanish: 252 applications
MAIN TOPICS:
- Device principles
Common device/technique problems and resolution 
Care, maintenance, and quality assurance
- Proper clinical application
Technology management
- Patient safety
Spanish version:
-252 applications
-34 selected
-Participants from 20 countries:
Argentina, Bolivia , Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela.
English version:
-47 applications
-19 selected
-Participants from 9 countries:
Anguilla, Antigua y Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines and Trinidad &  Tobago.

13. PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health
Interactive discussion
PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health
Example assignments: Quizzes

14. PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health
Course completion
English: Twelve passed; six with excellence and five with distinction
Spanish: Fifteen passed; two with excellence and six with distinction
Course Evaluation
Positives (strongly agree)
The instructor is knowledgeable about the subject: 100%
The course content is valuable: 82%
The course assignments contributed to my learning: 82%
Areas for improvement (strongly agree)
Understanding the grading criteria for assignments: 37%
Instructors contribution to online discussions: 46%
No negative ratings for any evaluation question
Example student comment
“Thank you, it was a wonderful introduction for a first time to biomedical engineering and hospitals; well laid out; Good assignments and relevant discussions”

15. Results
Over 1000 students from 40 countries have taken course
Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada, Antigua, St. Lucia, Belize, British Virgin Islands, St. Vincent, St. Kitts, Turks & Caicos, France, Spain, China, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Barbuda, Guyana, Bahamas, Anguilla, Honduras, Cuba, El Salvador, Panamá, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and the USA
English & Spanish versions taught at:
PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health
Universidad CES in Medellin, Colombia
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Peru in Lima, Peru
Universidad Technological Nacional/Mendoza, Argentina
University of Vermont in Vermont, USA

16. Course Challenges Technology infrastructure
Availability of high speed lines
Computer availability
Showing the value of the course
Awareness
Value to healthcare improvement in the country
Value to administration, authorities and supervisors
Allowing staff time to take the course
Resource commitment
Continual updates
As technology changes
Dead link replacement

17. Future Directions
Additional courses on PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health
English & Spanish Healthcare Technology Planning and Management course to be offered in July
Convergence of technology, health technology life cycle, clinical engineering, global HTM
Portuguese translation
Adaptation for Brazil
Combine online with hands-on workshops at regional sites

18. International Clinical Engineering Internships Program
Six month paid internships
One month formal training
Five months of clinical engineering assistance to our CE’s and project work
Database analysis
Device development
Simulations
Online course development
Students from Peru, Colombia and Argentina

19. Clinical Engineering Internship
Purpose: To provide orientation, training and mentoring of engineering students in the area of clinical engineering to allow them to begin a career in clinical engineering with an ethical, cross-disciplinary and global perspective.
Expectations:
1. Attendance: 8am - 4:30pm unless traveling; you will not be paid for hours not worked including holidays
2. Attire: Business Casual
3. Follow the guidelines of TSP and UVM in completing your orientation. Complete all compliance requirements.
4. As part of the training period, successful completion of readings, an online course, oral and written tests is expected along with appropriate behavior, values and ethics. Reading includes chapters in the book: A Practicum for Biomedical Engineering & Technology Management by Les Atles and other articles.
5. You are being paid for the internship and will need to accomplish tasks as assigned by the Director, clinical engineer, or other TSP supervisor.
6. Weekly review meetings will be held to assess progress.
7. After the internship is complete, the goal is for you to work independently performing clinical engineering tasks.

20. Clinical Engineering Internship
Orientation &
Training
Classroom
Laboratory
Online
Reading

21. Clinical Engineering Internship
Schedule:
Week 1: Orientation to organization and the clinical engineering field
Weeks 2-3: Training by Certified Clinical Engineers; readings; online course
Week 4: Oral and written assessment of student learning
Weeks 5-25: Clinical engineering internship
8-12 weeks at University of Vermont Medical Center performing safety & performance testing, preventative maintenance and repair of medical equipment
Assist staff clinical engineers in completion of hospital work, e.g. product evaluation, safety studies, hospital meetings, facilities surveys
3-5 database orientated projects, e.g. research end–of-support, purchase price, optimum PM schedule, other as required
Other projects as needed, e.g. educational product development, website programming, instrument development
Week 26: Final report, evaluation, and celebration of achievement (certificate of completion, party, etc.

22. Clinical Engineering Internship
Weekly reporting
Weekly Topics and Activities:
Summary of insights and new knowledge
Important Concepts Conceived Using Mind Maps and Other Tools
Conclusions
Activities scheduled for next week (objectives, topics and activities)

23. University of Vermont (UVM): Clinical Engineering Internship Program

24. Peru: Lima 2012 ACEW Synopsis
Background
3rd ACEW in November 12-16, 2012
Theme: Leadership and Innovation
Structure
4 ACCE faculty, CENETEC Mexico, IFMBE, country leaders
5 days, 35 participants on-site, +20 from 4 other regions of Peru, Paraguay & Guatemala via Internet streaming
Ministry of Health, ESSALUD, and private hospital administrators, physicians, and engineers, PUCP faculty and biomedical engineering students
Sponsors/Partners
Organized by CENGETS PUCP & ACCE
Sponsored by Pontificia Universidad Católica del Peru (PUCP) & IFMBE
Supporting organizations - Ministry of Health, PAHO, DIGEMID,
Maternity Hospital of Lima, APBIO, CENETEC, CORAL, EMB Peru

25. Peru: Lima 2012 ACEW Synopsis
Participant Engagement
Two Discussion Sessions/Day
Key points from discussions; Key questions; Input from group – answers to question; Review list and identify top priorities (model AAMI Summits)
Case Studies
Policy & Planning, Safety & Maintenance

26. Key Initiatives Following ACEW
University partnerships
Pontifica Universidad Catolica del Peru and University of Vermont/Boston University
Faculty and student exchange
Collaborative activities: Peru-US
Other universities
Government
Associations
Emerging technology
Requires leadership