Clinical engineering and hospital accreditation in Canada

In response to the growing concern over the management of medical technology in hospitals, and in view of recent changes pertaining to medical technology that have been made by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals in the United States, the Canadian Council on Hospital Accreditation recently asked the Canadian Medical & Biological Engineering Society (CMBES) to prepare a brief on the proper role of clinical engineering in Canadian hospitals. The brief prepared by the CMBES outlines seven basic principles associated with clinical engineering, hospital accreditation, and the proper management of medical technology in hospitals. It appears that these principles may form the initial basis for changes to the Canadian Hospital Accreditation Guide and Questionnaires. A comparative assessment of the Canadian and American approaches by clinical engineers may help to advance the cause of better health care in both countries.