Clinical engineering is a specialization in biomedical engineering responsible primarily for applying and applying medical technology to optimize healthcare delivery. The role of clinical engineers includes the training and supervision of biomedical equipment technicians (BMET), working with government regulators on hospital audits/audits, and serving as technology consultants to other hospital staff (doctors, administrators, IT, etc.). Clinical engineers also advise medical equipment manufacturers regarding prospective clinical design improvements based on clinical experience, as well as monitor the state-of-the-art development to redirect appropriate hospital procurement patterns.
Their inherent focus on practical technology implementation tends to make them more or less incremental-oriented-relink and reconfigure, as opposed to revolutionary R & D or up-to-date ideas that will take years from clinical affordability; However, there are efforts to expand this time horizon where clinical engineers can influence the path of biomedical innovation. In their various roles they form a kind of "bridge" between the originator of the product and the end user, combining the perspective of being close to point-of-use, while also being trained in product and process design. Clinical engineering departments in large hospitals will occasionally employ not only biomedical engineers, but also industrial engineers/systems to assist with operations research, human factors, cost analysis, safety, etc.
Video Clinical engineering
History
While some of its roots traces back to the 1940s, the actual term clinical technique was first used in 1969. The first explicit reference published for this term appears in a paper published in 1969 by Landoll and Caceres. Cesar A. Caceres, a cardiologist, is generally credited with the term coining clinical techniques . Of course, the broader field of biomedical engineering has a relatively new history as well. The first modern professional interservation technique meeting focused on the application of engineering in medicine was probably held in 1948, according to the Engineering Alliance in Medicine and Biology.
The general idea of ​​applying engineering to medicine can be traced back centuries; for example, the work of Stephen Hales in the early 18th century which led to the discovery of ventilators and the discovery of blood pressure necessarily involves the application of engineering techniques to drugs.
The history of this sub-discipline has been somewhat uncertain. In the early 1970s, clinical engineering was considered a field that would require many new professionals. Estimates for the US range from 5,000 to 8,000 clinical engineers, or five to ten clinical engineers for every 250,000 populations, or one clinical engineer per 250 hospital beds.
The history of credential procedures and formal accreditation is also somewhat unstable. The International Certification Commission for Clinical Engineers (ICC) was formed under the sponsorship of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) in the early 1970s, to provide a formal certification process for clinical engineers. A similar certification program is established by an academic institution that offers a bachelor's degree in clinical engineering as the American Board of Clinical Engineering (ABCE). In 1979, ABCE agreed to disband, and those certified under its program were accepted into the ICC certification program. In 1985, only 350 certified clinical engineers. Finally, in 1999, AAMI after a long deliberation, and an analysis of a 1998 survey showing that no viable market for a certification program decides to suspend the program, no longer accepting new applicants in July 1999.
The new Clinical Engineering Certification Program (CCE) is currently starting in 2002 under the sponsors of the American College of Clinical Engineering (ACCE), and is managed by the ACCE Healthcare Technology Foundation. In 2004, the first year that the certification process actually took place, 112 people were awarded certification under previous ICC certification, and three were awarded a new certification. At the time of publication of AFIF 2006-2007 Annual Report (c. 30th June 2007), a total of 147 people were included in the HTF certified clinical engineer.
Maps Clinical engineering
New name for profession
In 2011, AAMI arranged a meeting to discuss new names for clinical engineering and/or biomedical equipment technology. After a careful debate, most decided on "Health Technology Management". Due to some general confusion about the line between clinical engineers (engineers) and BMET (technicians), the word technique is considered to be limiting from the administrator's perspective and unworkable from the educator's perspective. (An accredited ABET college can not name a "engineering" associate degree program.) Also, the clinical adjective limits the scope to the hospital. It remains unresolved how widely or officially accepted these changes will or will occur, and how this will affect the Certification of Clinical Engineering (CCE) or formal recognition of clinical engineering as part of biomedical engineering. For regulatory and licensing reasons, true engineering specializations must be defined in a way that distinguishes them from the technicians working with them.
Definitions
A clinical engineer is defined by ACCE as "a professional who supports and advances patient care by applying technical and managerial skills to health care technology." This definition was first adopted by the ACCE Board of Directors on May 13, 1991. Clinical engineering is also recognized by the Society of Biomedical Engineering (BMES), the premier professional organization for biomedical engineering, as a branch in biomedical engineering. [1]
There are at least two problems with the definition of ACCE that causes confusion. First, it is widely disclosed so it is not easy to prove that "clinical engineers" are part of "biomedical engineers". Often these terms are used interchangeably: some hospitals refer to related departments as "Clinical Engineering" departments, while others call this department "Biomedical Engineering". Indeed, as noted above, the technicians are almost universally referred to as "biomedical equipment technicians," regardless of the name of department they may work under. However, the term "biomedical engineer" is generally considered to be more inclusive, including engineers working in the design of major medical devices for manufacturers, or in R & D or in the academic world - whereas Clinical Engineers generally work in hospitals that solve problems that are very close to where the equipment is actually used in a patient care setting. Clinical engineers in some countries like India are trained to innovate and find technological solutions for clinical needs. Another vague issue of the ACCE definition is the appropriate educational background for a clinical engineer. Generally, the expectations of the certification program are that applicants for certification as clinical engineers will hold an accredited undergraduate degree in engineering (or at least engineering technology).
The future
The management of health care technology is becoming increasingly complex. The driving factors and opportunities presented are examined in The Future of Clinical Engineering, published in IEEE EMBS magazine in 2003.
Degree Program
The University of Connecticut offers a two-year clinical internship program where students work part-time as clinical engineers during the fall and spring semesters at a hospital in New England. The Clinical Engineering Class is attended throughout the academic semester in core topics and trends in Clinical Engineering.
The University of Toronto offers a two-year Master of Health Sciences in Clinical Engineering program where students complete internships as clinical engineers in industry or in hospitals. In addition to the internship, students are required to complete a research thesis. The Clinical Engineering Class is attended throughout the first year of the program in core and trending topics in Clinical Engineering.
Feasibility requirements
In order to qualify for certification in the field of clinical engineering (CCE), a candidate must have appropriate professional or educational credentials (an accredited technological or engineering level) have certain relevant experience and pass the exam. Inspection for Certification in Clinical Techniques involves a written examination consisting of a maximum of 150 multiple-choice goal questions with a three-hour test period, and separate oral exams. Specific weights are awarded to applicants for CE certification (CCE) licensed as Registered Professional Engineers (PE), who have broad requirements (including engineering degrees and accredited engineering experience).
Clinical engineering in England
Clinical engineers in the UK usually work on the NHS. Clinical Technique is a Clinical Clinical profession modality, which is registered by HCPC. The responsibilities of clinical engineers vary, and may include providing specialized clinical services, creating and developing medical devices, and medical device management. Such roles usually involve patient contact and academic research. Clinical Engineering units within an NHS organization are often part of a larger department of medical physics. Clinical engineers, supported and represented by the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM), in which special interest groups of clinical engineering oversee engineering activities. The three main goals of Clinical Engineering with the NHS are:
- To ensure medical equipment in a clinical setting is available and in accordance with clinical service needs .
- To ensure the functionality of medical devices effectively and safely.
- To ensure medical equipment and its management represent value for patient benefits :
Skills Required
Clinical engineering supports a wide range of health care activities, and therefore certain person requirements for that role also vary. However clinical scientists must be able to work with patients, clinical staff and other professionals, therefore being able to communicate often in complex situations with precision is essential. As a scientist you will be asked to keep up with the latest developments in your field, and will often have the opportunity to communicate research and development to others. Clinical engineers will have a first scientific degree (often engineering or physics) before proceeding to train and register as clinical scientists, and many are also trained to doctorate level, either as part of their clinical engineering training, or prior to training.
Registration in UK
Clinical engineers are listed as clinical scientists by HCPC. Assessment of training participants prior to registration is provided by the Association of Clinical Scientists (ACS) and the Academy of Health Sciences (AHCS). There are two programs to obtain enrollment from HCPC as a clinical scientist. The first is the Certificate of Achievement, awarded on the successful completion of the NHS Scientist Training Program (STP), and the second is through the Equality Certificate, awarded on a successful equality demonstration to the STP. This second route is usually chosen by individuals who have significant scientific experience before seeking registration. In March 2017 IPEM issued a policy document stating their position on the entry route to the registration of clinical scientists.
Clinical engineering in India
Health care is increasingly becoming technology driven and requires trained personnel to keep up with the growing demand of professionals in the field. A M-Tech Clinical Technique course was initiated by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum and Christian Medical College, Vellore (CMC), to meet the country's needs for human resource development. It is devoted to the development of native biomedical devices as well as technology management, and thus contributes to the overall development of health delivery in the country.
During the course, engineering students are given insight into biology, medicine, relevant electronic background, clinical practice, device development and even aspects of management. In addition, students are paired with clinical doctors from CMC and SCTIMST to gain hands-on experience during internships. An important aspect of this training is the simultaneous, long-term and detailed exposure to the clinical environment as well as medical device development activities. It aims to make students understand the process of identifying unmet clinical needs and thus, contribute to the development of new medical devices in the country. The unique feature of the course is the clinical attachment that exposes the student to the clinical environment. The program also trains engineers to manage and ensure the safe and effective use of technology in health service delivery points.
The minimum qualification for this course is a bachelor's degree in any engineering discipline except civil engineering and a valid GATE score in that field.
See also
- Biomedical engineering
References
Further reading
- Bronzino, Joseph D. (April 2006). The Biomedical Engineering Handbook, Third Edition . [Press CRC]. ISBN: 978-0-8493-2124-5.
- Villafane, Carlos, CBET. (June 2009). Biomed: From Student Perspective, First Edition . [Techniciansfriend.com]. ISBN: 978-1-61539-663-4. CS1 maint: Many names: list of authors (links)
- Information related to biomedical engineering.
- Medical engineering stories in news [2]
External links
- Clinical Engineering Consultants, Inc.
- EBME Biomedical & amp; Clinical Engineering
- American College of Clinical Engineering
- ACCE Healthcare Technology Foundation
- Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation
- Bay Area Association of Medical Instrumentation "BAAMI", Tampa, FL
- The Canadian Society of Medical and Biological Engineering (CMBES)
- META - Medical Equipment & amp; Technology Association
- Clinical Technique Handbook
- Journal of Clinical Techniques
- Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM)
- The Irish Biomedical Engineering Association (BEAI)
- National Association of Medical device trainers (NAMDET)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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