AAMIBlog

Think about the last time you saw a demonstration of a new medical device. Were you guided through all the new and innovative features by an expert who was able to step in and assist with any questions or difficulties as you tried it for the first time? Now think about the last time you […]

Remote monitoring and virtual surveillance are quickly becoming a top priority at hospitals across the country. One of the main drivers is the growth of health systems where the main campus is looking for ways to remotely monitor its rural and sub-acute facility patients. Another driver is the desire to remotely monitor patients in higher […]

Clinical staffers spend about 20% of their time on documentation alone. While it’s difficult to summarize the error rates, studies show that they range from 5% to 95%, depending upon the condition, patient, and measurement. Inaccurate documentation has many risks, from clinical risks such as cherry-picked vitals and handoff, to financial risks such as revenue […]

About six years ago, our organization started down the path to develop and implement an in-house imaging equipment service program. Early on, we decided that some of our key areas of focus included the need to reduce costs, maintain or improve service quality, meet or exceed caregiver expectations, and provide a safe environment for everyone […]

The evolving science of patient safety in today’s hospitals and other healthcare facilities is about protecting patients from injury and death while they are being treated for illnesses or other conditions. Over the past two decades, patient safety has gained quite a bit of attention, recognized worldwide with new strategies and recommendations being outlined all […]

The regulation of medical devices by the FDA remains a hot topic for makers of medical devices and HTM professionals, whether they are employed by hospitals, manufacturers, or third-party entities. There are at least seven ways that the regulation of medical devices could fundamentally change. Three of these are legislative in which a bill is […]

It is a regulatory requirement to clean and disinfect medical equipment before being used on a patient. Such a practice is also simply the right thing to do. We need to keep our patients and hospital personnel safe. While that outlook is a no-brainer, the cleaning and disinfection of medical equipment is a complicated responsibility […]

Healthcare technology management (HTM) prides itself on being driven by “big data.” We have more metrics and ways at making evidence-based decisions than most within the healthcare industry.  Now that we are well into the era of big data, the struggle has been making it relevant. Sure, as HTM, we have settled nicely into our […]

A recent article suggested that HTM-related education may be a “dying breed,” and I couldn’t agree more. That scares me! With programs closing around me and educators retiring, I know that our profession is in trouble—and I know our profession can do things to help. Picture driftwood on the beach, carefully laid out by educators, […]

I have long been concerned (some might say obsessed) with the distinction between a medical device being “approved” and one being “cleared.” In simple terms, only a Class III device that has successfully traversed the PMA process has been approved. A Class II device that has reached the market via a 510(k) Premarket Notification has […]