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Healthcare technology today is considerably different than it was 20 to 40 years ago. Yet, much of what is done by healthcare technology managers in support of medical technology has not changed. The tools and procedures still used by most clinical engineering services have evolved little to address some of the unique challenges posed by new healthcare technologies that are at once more pervasive, more complex and more susceptible to failures that may have catastrophic consequences for patients and healthcare operations. Just how has the healthcare technology landscape changed?

between healthcare and engineering could lead to significant improvements in the healthcare delivery system, essentially by recognizing that it is, in fact, a system of interlocked systems, each with its own work flows, resources, overhead, and product. Some of these systems deliver care directly, such as emergency room queuing. Others are more behind the scenes, such as cycling of IV pumps or maintaining operating room (OR) sterile packs.

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.