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ARLINGTON, VA – The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) Technology Management Council has launched a project that aims to determine the status of technology management in healthcare facilities and hospitals, and what challenges lie ahead for biomeds and clinical engineers.
AAMI, a nonprofit organization representing an alliance of nearly 6,000 members, said the first step of the project is to identify 10 hospitals—of varying size and location, and including some with in-house medical equipment maintenance and others that outsource such services – for in-depth study.
According to the project's description one of the primary goals of this project is "to define resources that could enhance technology management as a field. What types of resources do managers need to enhance their careers and the benefits they provide to their organization? What resources are available, and what needs to be developed?"
[See also: IT certifications increasingly important to hiring process]
"We won't just interview biomed or clinical engineering managers in a wide spectrum of hospitals," said Frank Painter, president of Technology Management Solutions, a consulting group in southwestern Connecticut that was chosen to lead the project. "We are going to talk to administrators, and find out what they feel is the value of technology management."
The interviews are intended to shed light on several issues, including whether there are major needs that technology managers could fill, and determining the visibility of biomeds and clinical engineers to C-Suite executives.
[See also: Survey: More work needed to integrate care management, IT]
After the interviews at the 10 hospitals, the consultant will send a similar survey to all AAMI members. The results will be compiled into a white paper that will:
- Profile the current state of medical technology, and the state of a technology manager's relationships with colleagues, supervisors, and other hospital staff
- Provide a vision for the future of effective equipment management in healthcare facilities
- Identify barriers or challenges to achieving that future
- Recommend potential projects to move the field forward
The white paper, expected to be complete in June, will be distributed to all AAMI members, and act as a springboard for future projects, said officials.
