EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Healthcare Engineering? or Healthcare Technology?

What sort of Management is the way to go Engineering or technology?

You need both

Can you explain the question?

Yup what's better engineer the technology you have till it dies out or manage technology and get into the rat race of better n better? I know some pros n cons for both are there but in today's world what's more value for money plus sustainable, and at the same time long term cost effective. Hope it makes some sense.

I see what you're saying. My answer would be:- it depends on your (client's, hospital's etc.) budget.

Although I must admit that, on a personal level, my approach has always been fix it (use it) till it dies. There's no way I could be accused of being an "early adopter". And, as far as I'm concerned, the Rat Race is strictly for rats!

I agree with you Geoff, I would also use a similar strategy the cost benefits are just too good to be ignored, now here is the dilema though if you were to synchronise your existing system of engineering do you feel you'd be able too? Specially when you find out that the only department that is not in the rat race is yours out of the whole hospital. Now at the time of system integration your department which compared to other departments in the hospital which by virtue of the nature of its function being dependant on technology is supposed to be tech savvy is lagging behind and is not uptodate with the rest of the infrastructure. Which off course leads to your department being outsourced and let's external third party service providers capitalise on your not being in the rat race what do you do then? As an engineer I am a 100% with ya but when you see the tech rolling in these days and specially with the dangling carrots of Information management system integration and remote access, man it gets hard to engineer cause you find out that for this integration there are 10 different types of systems bein incorporated into 1. It is a tricky one I must say. So for me it needs to be ICT management or Technology management which can be further split into IT, medical engineering, communications, etc etc etc.... And considering the system in the UK it needs to be incorporated on a trust level or even at a national NHS systems management level
OR
We can carry on and wait for. A third party to walk in and capitalise on us being outdated, I do agree however there are ways of engineering within the system though no longer the screw driver n multimeter type engineering but more of solution engineering. Well I can go on n on n on but it's a very tough one this...

As my old mate Neil has already said:- you need to do both.

And if the hospital bosses want to waste money on continually trying to keep up with the latest gee-wiz stuff, then that's up to them.

If (and that may be a big "if") they bother to seek your advice, then give the best you can. But otherwise, why not just sit back and enjoy the ride?

LOL...😂 I take your word on the IF part....

Both as paths are crossing as are our job and adaptation is key