1. Healthcare Technology Management Biomedical An overview of Equipmentor
Biomedical
Equipment
Technology
© D. J. McMahon

2. Functions of HTM Techs:
> Maintain
> Repair
> Install
> Educate Users
> Interface with IT
> Support Purchasing

3. What kind of equipment ? Monitors for X-ray Units ECG blood pressure
O2 saturation
etc
Defibrillators
Heart-Lung pumps
Ventilators
Electrosurgical Units
Medical Lasers
Dialysis Machines
X-ray Units
CT Scanners
Ultrasound
MRI Units
Clinical Lab Devices
Centrifuges
Microscopes
Blood Analyzers
etc

4. Major Divisions of HTM:
> General Clinical Equipment
- monitoring devices, diagnostic equipment,
therapeutic devices, & assistive devices.
> Imaging Equipment
- X-ray, CT scanners, fluoroscopes, ultrasound, MRI, etc.
> Clinical Laboratory Equipment
- centrifuges, cell counters, microscopes, etc.

5. Where do they work ?

6. Where are they trained?
In the U.S., large majority train at 2-year colleges:
- ~ 45 schools currently in the U.S.
- most offer an AAS degree
Dept. of Defense: combined Armed Forces BMET school
- located at Fort Sam Houston near San Antonio, TX

7. Compensation:
Medical Equipment Technicians are paid somewhat more than electronics technicians.
Compensation depends on many variables:
- experience
- factory training credentials
- region of the country
- type of employer

8. Continuing Education:
Equipment-specific training through manufacturer service schools.
Current topics and reviews through society meetings, journals, & webinars.
Specific training in imaging technology or clinical lab equipment.

9. Negative Aspects of HTM:
- Consequences of Error
- potential for patient injury or death
- potential for delayed or cancelled treatment
- potential for equipment damage or loss
- Environmental Hazards
- infectious disease, chemicals, X-rays, etc.
- On-call Duty, Evening & Weekend Hours

10. Prerequisite Skills: Social Skills are essential: >
Equipment techs deal with a wide variety of medical personnel who differ in education, ethnicity, and language skills.
>
Communication Skills are essential:
Must have good writing and speaking competencies .

11. HTM Course at North Seattle:
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Basic Anatomy & Physiology
- Medical Terminology
- Electronics (DC & AC, Analog, Digital, etc)
- Medical Equipment Technology
- Information Technology
- Externship

12. HTM Skills Exercises at North Seattle:
Use recent medical devices and test equipment
Emphasis on
Shop Skills: practice with hand tools, soldering, disassembly
Performance Verification:
‘Preventive Maintenance’ of devices, electrical safety checks
Troubleshooting: finding and repairing defects
Skills exercises are ~ 35% of the student’s grade

13. HTM Externship: Student is placed in the Clinical Engineering Dept
of a local hospital, or medical device manufacturer.
Must get at least 220 hours of work experience.
Must write logs of his/her experience each week.
Required for graduation.

14. Online References for the HTM Student:
- AAMI:
The Association for the Advancement of Medical
Instrumentation. (Washington DC)
- 24x7 Magazine:
- TechNation Magazine:
1technation.com/

15. Certification : CBET: Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician
CRES: Certified Radiological Equipment Specialist
CLES: Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist
> Administered thru AAMI
> Comprehensive exam + work experience
> Renewal every 3 years
> Valuable in hiring and promotion

16. Questions ?