Key Challenges to Maintenance Activities in Clinical Engineering
Objective: Maintenance of biomedical equipment has undergone tremendous improvements over the last several decades since the publication of Ralph Naders fateful article in 1971.The uproar caused by Naders article had called for stringent electrical safety testing.Clinical engineering fraternities worldwide hurried to provide solutions and addressed the damage.In the process,we saw improvements in many areas of clinical engineering.Yet,despite these improvements,clinical engineering is still grappling with challenges in its maintenance activities that seem to persist.This paper seeks to identify these challenges which have caused difficulties,and to some extent,impede the performance of effective maintenance.The paper also seeks to propose solutions and recommendations for improvements.Methods: Over the course of his work,the author has noticed areas that have posed major challenges in clinical engineering.One such challenge is in the area of clinical engineering competency.Non-standardization in maintenance activities is another area where some tough decisions may be needed.Other challenges will be identified,explained and where possible,solutions will be offered.Results: In this paper,the author identifies ten major challenges that have affected the provision of clinical engineering services.Most of these challenges,if properly addressed may significantly improve healthcare delivery and/or provide clinical engineering with clear guidelines on the breadth and limits of the discipline.Some have severely affected maintenance performances while several have been left unattended and unresolved.Regardless,the ten challenges are common and normally experienced at clinical engineering department across the globe.Conclusion: By pointing out these key challenges,clinical engineering practitioners would be able to identify shortfalls and trends in clinical engineering maintenance and systematically focus their attention towards assisting in problem solving.With the challenges identified,it is hoped that clinical engineering,through its various networks,would be able to incorporate compliance and enforcement.
clinical engineering clinical engineering practitioners clinical engineering certification clinical engineering competency biomedical equipment healthcare technology management medical devices
Azman Hamid
Next Level Technologies, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya 47301, Malaysia
国际会议
杭州
英文
125-133
2015-10-21（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）