Biomedical Engineering Technician Dynamics on Hospital Quality: Intangible Shared Performance Measures

Hospital organizational performance has been largely defined by administrative data comprised of tangible financial records. Though important, the hospital environment of care is arguably represented by multiple inter-professional and intangible factors that influence patient outcomes that are not cost-driven but service-oriented. In the absence of uniform standards that address common problems across diverse health care facilities such as the association of medical equipment with adverse events, hospital administrators must view alternative methods to measure effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. One method is to examine the inter-professional impact of the Biomedical Engineering Technician (BMET) occupation in the hospital Clinical Engineering Department on the level of hospital quality in the environment of care. The proposition is premised on the knowledge that 1) the BMET duties are associated with medical equipment status, and 2) the availability of properly functioning, clean, and timely access to medical equipment that is central to healthcare. A major recommendation is the implementation of coordinated care across clinical and non-clinical health occupations.

Dr. Fiedler completed her doctorate in Public Affairs at the University of Central Florida in Orlando; M.S. in Operations Management at Kettering University in Flint, MI; and an A.S. in Biomedical Engineering Technology at Florida State College of Jacksonville. Her research includes policy to improve community health and fiscal conditions.