The Definition

A Clinical engineer is defined by ACCE as "a professional who supports and advances patient care by applying engineering and managerial skills to healthcare technology."[9] This definition was first adopted by the ACCE Board of Directors on May 13, 1991. Clinical Engineering is also recognized by the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), the major professional organization for biomedical engineering, as being a branch within Biomedical Engineering. [10]

There are at least two issues with the ACCE definition that cause some confusion. First, it is phrased so broadly that it's not readily evident that "clinical engineer" is but one subset of "biomedical engineer." Many times the terms actually get used interchangeably: some hospitals refer to their relevant departments as "Clinical Engineering" departments, while others call them "Biomedical Engineering" departments. Indeed, as noted above, the technicians are almost universally referred to as "biomedical equipment technicians," regardless of the name of the department that they might work under. However, the term "biomedical engineer" is generally thought to be more all-encompassing, including engineers who work in the primary design of medical devices for manufacturers, or in original R&D, or in academia—whereas clinical engineers generally work in hospitals solving problems that are very close to where equipment is actually used in a patient care setting. The clinical engineers in some countries such as India are trained to innovate and find technological solutions for the clinical needs.[11] The other issue not evident from the ACCE definition is the appropriate educational background for a clinical engineer. Generally, the expectation of the certification program is that an applicant for certification as a clinical engineer will hold an accredited bachelor's degree in engineering (or at least engineering technology).

The future

The management of healthcare technology is becoming increasingly complex. The driving factors and opportunities presented are examined in The Future of Clinical Engineering [12], published in the IEEE EMBS magazine in 2003.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for certification in clinical engineering (CCE), a candidate must hold appropriate professional or educational credentials (an accredited engineering or possibly engineering-technology degree) have certain relevant experience, and pass an examination. The Examination for Certification in Clinical Engineering involves a written examination composed of a maximum of 150 multiple-choice objective questions with a testing time of three (3) hours, and a separate oral exam.[13] Particular weight is given to applicants for CE certification (CCE) who are already licensed as registered Professional Engineers (PE) -- which itself has extensive requirements (including an accredited engineering degree and engineering experience).

References

[1]Landoll JR and Caceres CA, Automation of Data Acquisition in Patient Testing, Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 57, No. 11, November 1969, 1941-1953

[2]Zambuto RP, Clinical Engineers in the 21st Century, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, May/June 2005, 37-41

[3]Cartwright FF, A Short History of Blood Pressure Measurement, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, Volume 70, November 1977, 793-799

[4]Shaffer MJ, Clinical Engineering: An In-Depth Review of Its Economic Potential, Medical Care, July 1977, Vol. XV, No. 7, 552-567

[5]Shaffer MJ, Clinical Engineer Cost-Effectiveness Measurements in the USA, Medical and Biological Engineering & Computing, November 1985, 505-510

[6]Minutes and Report of USCC Task Force on Certification Clinical Engineering Conference Call December 2, 1999 (http://www.aami.org/ certification/cce.1299.mins.html)

[7]ACCE Healthcare Technology Foundation 2004/2005 Progress Report (http://www.acce-htf.org/documents/2004-2005_Progress_Report. pdf)

[8]ACCE Healthcare Technology Foundation 2006/2007 Progress Report (http://www.acce-htf.org/documents/

HTF-006_Annual_Report_Mech-b.pdf)