Medical technology management in U.S. hospitals

Medical technologies move from research and development through manufacturing and marketing into the healthcare delivery system. Within the healthcare delivery system, hospitals rely heavily on medical technologies (and the medical devices they enable) to provide diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring in patient care. Managing these devices from acquisition through application in patient care is a formidable task. Hospitals must act to maximize the benefits of medical devices while minimizing adverse side effects. They must do so within a highly regulated and cost-constrained environment. This paper describes the challenges hospitals face and the strategies they employ in their efforts to achieve cost-effective medical technology management. The role of clinical engineering is discussed.