Amador Terán Gilmore

Knowledge network for medical technology management in Mexico

OBJECTIVES The role of biomedical engineers (BMEs) has changed widely over the years, from managing a group of technicians to the planning of large installations and the management of medical technology countrywide. As the technology has advanced, the competence of BMEs has been challenged because it is no longer possible to be an expert in every component of the technology involved in running a hospital. Our approach has been to form a network of professionals that are experts in different fields related to medical technology, where work is coordinated to provide high quality services at the planning and execution stages of projects related to medical technology. METHODS A study of the procedures involved in the procurement of medical technology has been carried out over the years. These experiences have been compared with several case studies where the approach to problem solving in this area has been multidisciplinary. Planning and execution phases of projects involving medical technology management have been identified. RESULTS After several instances of collaboration among experts from different fields, a network for management of healthcare technology has been formed at our institution that incorporates the experience from different departments that were dealing separately with projects involving medical technology. CONCLUSIONS This network has led us to propose this approach to solve medical technology management projects, where the strengths of each subgroup complement each other. This structure will lead to a more integrated approach to healthcare technology management and will ensure higher quality solutions.