Technology's implications for health care quality. A clinical engineering perspective

Bill Gates states in Business @ The Speed of Thought that "the 2000s will be about velocity." This "decade of velocity" is driven by the flow of digital information. Health care organizations should develop a "digital nervous system" that is distinguished from a network of computers by the accuracy, immediacy, and richness of the information it brings to health care workers and by the insight and collaboration made possible by this information. This article provides a clinical engineering perspective on technology in health care in an era of rapid change. It discusses how clinical engineers work with health care professionals to manage and adapt to technological, economic, social, and regulatory forces that are redefining our approach to health care delivery.