Mode of access: World Wide Web.

System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Part of: Synthesis digital library of engineering and computer science.

Series from website.

Includes bibliographical references.

1. The health care system in North America (Canada and U.S.) -- 1.1 Canada -- 1.1.1 Some historical facts -- 1.2 United States -- 1.3 Coverage and access -- 1.4 Health care facilities --

2. Measuring physiological variables in humans -- 2.1 Common measurements of physiological variables -- 2.1.1 The heart -- 2.1.2 Non-invasive blood pressure measurements (NIPB) -- 2.1.3 Invasive blood pressure -- 2.1.4 Defibrillation -- 2.1.5 Pacing the heart -- 2.1.6 The brain -- 2.1.7 Electromyography (EMG) -- 2.1.8 Respiration -- 2.1.9 Measurement of temperature -- 2.2 Transducers and sensors -- 2.2.1 Characteristics of physical sensors -- 2.2.2 Chemical sensors -- 2.3 Gas sensors --

3. Management of medical technologies in industrialized and developing countries -- 3.1 Evolution of clinical engineering in industrialized countries -- 3.2 Functions and activities of clinical engineering departments (CEDs) -- 3.2.1 In-house medical equipment maintenance -- 3.2.2 Functions usually performed by engineers -- 3.3 A changing role in the 21st century -- 3.4 Clinical engineering in developing countries -- 3.4.1 A model to assess the readiness of a country to acquire, diffuse, manage medical technologies -- 3.4.2 Technology management -- 3.4.3 WHO baseline country survey on medical devices (2010) --

4. Safety considerations, minimizing liability, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) -- 4.1 Electrical safety in hospitals -- 4.2 Brief summary of electrical safety issues -- 4.2.1 Ensuring electrical safety -- 4.2.2 Electro-magnetic interference (EMI) and medical devices -- 4.3 Liability exposure -- 4.3.1 How to minimize risk -- 4.3.2 Legal issues in clinical engineering practice -- 4.4 Quality assurance and CQI -- 4.4.1 How to measure QAA -- 4.4.2 General goal -- 4.4.3 Examples of QA measures for CEDs --

5. Telemedicine: applications and issues -- 5.1 Definitions -- 5.2 Drivers of the technology -- 5.2.1 Technological drivers -- 5.2.2 Non-technological drivers -- 5.2.3 Home telecare -- 5.3 Medical applications of telemedicine -- 5.3.1 Examples of medical applications of telemedicine -- 5.4 Report to the U.S. Congress (1997) -- 5.5 Evaluation elements for clinical telemedicine -- 5.6 The report on U.S. telemedicine activity by the Association of Telemedicine Service Providers (ATSP) in 1998 -- 5.7 Report to the U.S. Congress (2001) -- 5.7.1 Barriers and issues concerning the implementation and use of telemedicine -- 5.8 Ethical and legal aspects -- 5.9 Technical requirements --

6. Impact of technology on health care and the technology assessment process -- 6.1 Impact of technology on health care -- 6.2 The health technology assessment process -- 6.2.1 What is a Health Technology Assessment (HTA)? -- Author biography.

Abstract freely available; full-text restricted to subscribers or individual document purchasers.

Compendex

INSPEC

Google scholar

Google book search

The first chapter describes the health care delivery systems in Canada and in the U.S. This is followed by examples of various approaches used to measure physiological variables in humans, either for the purpose of diagnosis or monitoring potential disease conditions; a brief description of sensor technologies is included. The function and role of the clinical engineer in managing medical technologies in industrialized and in developing countries are presented. This is followed by a chapter on patient safety (mainly electrical safety and electromagnetic interference); it includes a section on how to minimize liability and how develop a quality assurance program for technology management. The next chapter discusses applications of telemedicine, including technical, social, and ethical issues. The last chapter presents a discussion on the impact of technology on health care and the technology assessment process.

Also available in print.

Title from PDF title page (viewed on November 13, 2013).