Global Clinical Engineering Day
Shining a light on clinical engineering
Global Clinical Engineering Day is a worldwide celebration which recognises the contributions of clinical engineers to healthcare and is celebrated on 21 October. In this Q&A, the Chair of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) Clinical Engineering Special Interest Group, Dr. Victoria Kidgell, shares her insights.
Clinical Engineering is the application of science and technology to the maintenance and management of medical devices to optimise healthcare delivery. This encompasses medical devices used in a vast range of environments, including (but not limited to) equipment used within hospital wards and theatre environments, home monitoring equipment, devices such as CPAP machines used in the home and community settings, as well as assistive technologies. Medical technologies – such as surgical robots, integrated patient monitoring systems, and intelligent infusion pumps – are becoming increasingly complex, intelligent and have the potential to improve outcomes, efficiency and patient safety. As the pandemic demonstrated, through the huge efforts of clinical engineers to rapidly upscale life-saving equipment in a crisis, this is a resourceful, skilful and dynamic profession. Clinical engineers are the backbone of healthcare across the globe and yet there
is poor awareness of the vital work they do. It is clear that the future of technology-driven healthcare lies firmly in the skilful hands of clinical engineers. In the lead up to Global Clinical Engineering
Day, CSJ’s editor, Louise Frampton, invited the Chair of IPEM’s Clinical Engineering Special Interest Group, Dr. Victoria Kidgell, to share her views on why it is so important to celebrate this Global Clinical Engineering Day…
Q. What is happening to celebrate Global Clinical Engineering Day?
A. IPEM will be promoting Global Clinical Engineering Day to its members across its various platforms. It’s an important annual date for us as the professional body representing clinical engineers in the UK and we will also be supporting those who want to carry out activities locally. The IPEM Clinical Engineering Special Interest Group (CE SIG) will be holding a webinar on
the day, titled “Clinical Engineering Career pathways – from Early Careers onwards”, where three early to mid-career colleagues will discuss their career paths in the field, and what opportunities they have taken along the way. (To register, visit: https://tinyurl. com/4kzeavk5)
Q. Why is it important to celebrate clinical engineering on this day?
A. Global Clinical Engineering Day is a great opportunity for clinical engineers to raise the profile of their profession and share ideas and best practice with both national and international colleagues. This can be anything from engaging with local schools to promote clinical engineering as an interesting career option, through to attending or hosting webinars to discuss and present relevant topics to clinical engineers worldwide.
Q. What can NHS Trusts and other healthcare providers do to get on board with Global Clinical Engineering Day?
A. We would like to work with Trusts to raise the profile of clinical engineering and the teams working in their own areas. This could include giving a focus to the clinical engineering team through their internal communications, hosting a stand where staff and the public can find out more, working with the local media to profile their clinical engineers or connecting with local schools and colleges to promote clinical engineering as a career. It could even be something as simple arranging a visit from the Board to talk to their clinical engineers and find out more about their work.
Q. What needs to be done to advance clinical engineering in the UK?
A. Clinical Engineering needs to raise its profile to ensure school leavers are aware it exists as a profession worth considering. It can be a very interesting and rewarding career, but many people aren’t aware engineers exist within
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