Management and control of clinical engineering productivity: a case study

This paper describes, in chronological order, the steps taken to install productivity measurements and controls within the Clinical Engineering Department of a large teaching hospital. Motivation for this project involved both preparation for going "for profit" and the need to resolve an over-budget condition of labor cost. The project steps included current hospital management reports, database adequacy, supervisors' time logs, computerized budget spread sheets, testing changes on a financial simulation model, developing labor task standards, and departmental labor performance reporting. The project yielded significant positive results for the department's performance versus budget and also led to growth in supervisory and management skills.