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The BM Division and the Department of Biomedical Engineering of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University co-organised a seminar on health technology management - new directions and what you should know on 2 November 2017. The seminar aimed to provide a brief overview of the latest developments in clinical engineering and health technology management.
The speaker was Mr James P Keller, Vice President of International Market Development at ECRI Institute. He highlighted the frontiers in clinical engineering and briefly explained the growing popularity of remote diagnostics, real time monitoring, customised drug therapy and simulators for medical interventions.
Traditional clinical engineering practices have undergone tremendous transitions with the development of new health information technology, but the progression of computerisation has also been accompanied by increasing complexity and growing risks. The demand for IT professionals in hospitals has been increasing due to the need for technical support. Mr Keller introduced several areas of mobile health applications with a high potential for development, including patient monitoring, patient tracking, emergency response, medicine dosage and asset management.
Mr Keller also shared his views on the major challenges of the various developments. He emphasised the importance of ensuring cyber security and privacy, while also pointing out that data availability, accuracy, timely transmission and software updates were equally essential. He concluded by outlining the key factors for the successful adoption of IT-based health technology in hospitals. These included understanding clinical workflows and technology, departmental collaboration, communication, policies, procedures and training.
The seminar attracted around 70 participants ranging from university students to experienced engineers and medical professionals. After the presentation, participants enjoyed some insightful discussion with Mr Keller on clinical engineering and health technology management. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Mr Keller for sharing his invaluable experience.
A seminar on biomedical/clinical engineering in healthcare IT - roles and qualifications, co-organised by the BM Division and the Department of Biomedical Engineering of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was held on 30 November 2017. It aimed to provide a brief overview of biomedical/clinical engineering and certification requirements in Canada, as well as the roles of clinical engineering in healthcare IT.
The seminar was delivered by Ir Dr Anthony Chan, Head of the Biomedical Engineering Programme, at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He shared his views on the fundamental knowledge and skillset that clinical engineers should possess. He introduced a number of emerging roles for clinical engineers on top of their traditional responsibilities, such as surgical planning, big data analytics and telehealth. Drawing on his experience in the clinical engineering field in Canada, he illustrated the certification requirements for certified clinical engineers in the country.
Ir Dr Chan also shared his views on the integration of clinical engineering into healthcare IT. He emphasised the importance of patient confidentiality and data security with reference to the Canadian Clinical Engineering Standards of Practice. He suggested how the broader application of electronic health records could facilitate medical equipment planning. Finally, he indicated the rising demand for biomedical engineering/IT specialists in the future, who should not only possess knowledge of network basics, standards and protocols, but also of clinical workflow and healthcare standards, such as Health Level Seven and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine.
The audience showed immense interest in the career path of clinical engineers and their integration with healthcare IT. They enjoyed the seminar and were keen on interacting with the speaker. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Ir Dr Chan for sharing his invaluable experience.