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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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the challenges associated with the clinical engineering profession. Consideration of the prospects of medical care; Contribution of information technology; Need for developing knowledge in computer software and hardware.

Explores the role of clinical engineers as stewards of healthcare technology. History of healthcare technology; Adoption and integration of technology in healthcare process; Standardization of effective technologies; Integration between diagnostic, information processing and therapeutic systems.

Explores the challenges of integrating the healthcare enterprise in the United States. Diversity of healthcare technologies and technical standards for exchanging useful information between different medical devices; Attempts of medical imaging to broaden its scope into clinical laboratory, cardiology and other areas that would benefit from the effective integration of biomedical and information technologies; Success of Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise.

This article presents information on Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE), an initiative launched in 1999 by the Radiological Society of North America and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. IHE brought together medical professionals and the healthcare information and imaging systems industry to agree upon, document, and demonstrate standards-based methods of sharing information in support of optimal patient care. After successful efforts in medical imaging, IHE is attempting to broaden its scope into clinical laboratory, cardiology, and other areas that would benefit from the effective integration of biomedical and information technology system.

This article presents information on medical devices. Medical devices have become technically more sophisticated to the degree they are considerably more reliable and less susceptible to performance variations and component failures. Clinical engineering needs to move away from viewing most medical devices as discrete, physical objects and began viewing and evaluating them as components in an interconnected and interactive healthcare environment. The growing tide of integration and interoperability between medical devices and systems requires that clinical engineering takes a new "security oriented" approach in the services it offers.

Discusses the advent of a security paradigm under which clinical engineers are increasingly being called on to address the security vulnerabilities of medical technology that has become integral to the delivery of care. Global preoccupation with security; Security process that the practice of traditional clinical engineering services is required to adopt; Common threats to the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of information maintained or transmitted by medical technology.