Medical Technology Professionals Research Articles

“双元制”职业教育教学维度下医学美容技术专业人才培养的探究

Vocational colleges are the main channel for cultivating talents in the medical beauty industry. After conducting research on some medical beauty clinics in Kunming, Qujing, Nanning and other cities, it was found that currently, medical beauty technology professionals trained solely in schools either have practical abilities but lack professional theoretical knowledge, or learn widely and have broad skills but not precise. Their professional competence is not high, and their lack of professional dedication makes it difficult to meet their employment needs. From the perspective of the “dual system” vocational education teaching dimension in Germany, it is possible to establish a medical beauty technology professional talent training institution with schools and enterprises as the main body of education, and both schools and enterprises jointly undertake the responsibility of education; According to the requirements of national vocational education, combined with factors such as the employment situation and professional qualifications of medical beauty technology professionals, professional settings, design of education system guarantees, and teaching management measures are carried out; Based on professional settings, educational system guarantees, and teaching management measures, the dual goals of talent cultivation are jointly formulated by schools and enterprises; Focusing on talent cultivation goals, innovating the curriculum system and teaching mode based on career needs and action orientation, implementing the integration of courses and certificates based on vocational qualifications, and supervising students to participate in qualification exams and graduation exams, we aim to explore the training methods for medical beauty technology professionals in vocational colleges and promote the cultivation of talents in China’s medical beauty industry.

基于行动导向的美容护肤技术课程教学方法研究

The action-oriented teaching method based on the principle of action-oriented teaching process is helpful to the cultivation of students’ comprehensive professional ability. The course of “beauty and skin care technology” is a professional core course for the major of medical beauty technology. It is closely related to the examination of beautician qualification certificate and belongs to the course of integration of courses and certificates. The course is mainly based on human aesthetics, common sense of physiological anatomy, theory of traditional Chinese medicine and massage techniques to study skin care technology, so as to delay aging and improve skin beauty problems. It is required that the trained talents can become first-class beauticians, beauty tutors and beauty consultants in the beauty industry. Under the traditional teaching mode of this major, the teaching method is single, the teacher is dominant and the teaching content is divorced from practice. Combined with the work process, the teaching method should be improved and innovated by using the guiding text teaching, project teaching, role-playing teaching, situational simulation teaching and case study. These action-oriented teaching methods can effectively promote the training of senior medical beauty technology professionals with scientific thinking and strong comprehensive professional ability.

Improving Implementation of an Electronic Prescription System for COVID-19 Vaccination in the Czech Republic: Process Modeling Approach.

It is very difficult to find a consensus that will be accepted by most players when creating health care legislation. The Czech electronic prescription system was launched in 2011 and new functions were introduced in 2018. To ensure that these functions will not conflict with any other existing law, a process modeling tool based on the patent "Method and system for automated requirements modeling" was used successfully in the Czech Republic for the first time. The aim of this project was to develop another successful application of process modeling to add COVID-19 vaccination records to the existing electronic prescription system. The method employed was based on the mathematical theory of hierarchical state diagrams and process models. In the first step, sketches that record the results of informal discussions, interviews, meetings, and workshops were prepared. Subsequently, the architecture containing the main participants and their high-level interactions was drafted. Finally, detailed process diagrams were drawn. Each semiresult was discussed with all involved team members and stakeholders to incorporate all comments. By repeating this procedure, individual topics were gradually resolved and the areas of discussion were narrowed down until reaching complete agreement. This method proved to be faster, clearer, and significantly simpler than other methods. Owing to the use of graphic tools and symbols, the risk of errors, inaccuracies, and misunderstandings was significantly reduced. The outcome was used as an annex to the bill in the legislative process. One of the main benefits of this approach is gaining a higher level of understanding for all parties involved (ie, legislators, the medical community, patient organizations, and information technology professionals). The process architecture model in a form of a graphic scheme has proven to be a valuable communication platform and facilitated negotiation between stakeholders. Moreover, this model helped to avoid several inconsistencies that appeared during workshops and discussions. Our method worked successfully even when participants were from different knowledge areas. The vaccination record process model was drafted in 3 weeks and it took a total of 2 months to pass the bill. In comparison, the initial introduction of the electronic prescription system using conventional legislative methods took over 1 year, involving immediate creation of a text with legislative intent, followed by paragraph-by-section wording of the legislation that was commented on directly. These steps are repeated over and over, as any change in any part of the text has to be checked and rechecked within the entire document. Compared with conventional methods, we have shown that using our method for the process of modification of legislation related to such a complex issue as the integration of COVID-19 vaccination into an electronic prescription model significantly simplifies the preparation of a legislative standard.

Thought Leader Perspectives on the Benefits, Barriers, and Enablers for Routinely Collected Electronic Health Data to Support Professional Development: Qualitative Study.

Hospitals routinely collect large amounts of administrative data such as length of stay, 28-day readmissions, and hospital-acquired complications; yet, these data are underused for continuing professional development (CPD). First, these clinical indicators are rarely reviewed outside of existing quality and safety reporting. Second, many medical specialists view their CPD requirements as time-consuming, having minimal impact on practice change and improving patient outcomes. There is an opportunity to build new user interfaces based on these data, designed to support individual and group reflection. Data-informed reflective practice has the potential to generate new insights about performance, bridging the gap between CPD and clinical practice. This study aims to understand why routinely collected administrative data have not yet become widely used to support reflective practice and lifelong learning. We conducted semistructured interviews (N=19) with thought leaders from a range of backgrounds, including clinicians, surgeons, chief medical officers, information and communications technology professionals, informaticians, researchers, and leaders from related industries. Interviews were thematically analyzed by 2 independent coders. Respondents identified visibility of outcomes, peer comparison, group reflective discussions, and practice change as potential benefits. The key barriers included legacy technology, distrust with data quality, privacy, data misinterpretation, and team culture. Respondents suggested recruiting local champions for co-design, presenting data for understanding rather than information, coaching by specialty group leaders, and timely reflection linked to CPD as enablers to successful implementation. Overall, there was consensus among thought leaders, bringing together insights from diverse backgrounds and medical jurisdictions. We found that clinicians are interested in repurposing administrative data for professional development despite concerns with underlying data quality, privacy, legacy technology, and visual presentation. They prefer group reflection led by supportive specialty group leaders, rather than individual reflection. Our findings provide novel insights into the specific benefits, barriers, and benefits of potential reflective practice interfaces based on these data sets. They can inform the design of new models of in-hospital reflection linked to the annual CPD planning-recording-reflection cycle.

Research on Teaching Reform of Medical Cosmetology Practice in Higher Vocational Education based on Professional Ability Training

The main task of higher vocational colleges is to train application-oriented skilled professionals for local and community economic construction and social development. Practical teaching is an indispensable part of higher vocational teaching system, and it is the most important way and means to cultivate professional quality and professional ability. It plays an important role in the education and teaching process of training high-quality technical skilled talents. According to the training objectives and employment market investigation and analysis, we believe that the professional ability should be the core in the training of medical beauty technology professionals in higher vocational colleges, and traditional teaching should be reformed, practical teaching should be emphasized, and a set of practical teaching mode should be explored. Under the condition of social market economy, it requires workers not only to have excellent technical skills, but also to have strong psychological quality, ideological quality, physical quality, aesthetic quality and role quality. This paper analyzes and summarizes the contents and implementation strategies of practical teaching of medical beauty technology specialty, in order to improve the teaching level of medical beauty technology specialty.

Development and Evaluation of a Crowdsourcing Platform for Education and Evidence-Based Medical Decision-Making

ABSTRACT The medical education for clinical decision-making has undergone changes in recent years. Previously supported by printed material, problem solving in clinical practice has recently been aided by digital tools known as summaries platforms. Doctors and medical students have been using such tools from questions found in practice scenarios. These platforms have the advantage of high-quality, evidence-based and always up-to-date content. Its popularization was mainly due to the rise of the internet use and, more recently, of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, facilitating their use in clinical practice. Despite this platform is widely available, the most of them actually present several access barriers as costs, foreign language and not be able to Brazilian epidemiology. A free national platform of evidence-based medical summaries was proposed, using the crowdsourcing concept to resolve those barriers. Furthermore, concepts of gamification and content evaluation were implemented. Also, there is the possibility of evaluation by the users, who assigns note for each content created. The platform was built with modern technological tools and made available for web and mobile application. After development, an evaluation process was conducted by researchers to attest to the valid of content, usability, and user satisfying. Consolidated questionnaires and evaluation tools by the literature were applied. The process of developing the digital platform fostered interdisciplinarity, from the involvement of medical and information technology professionals. The work also allowed the reflection on the innovative educational processes, in which the learning from real life problems and the construction of knowledge in a collaborative way are integrated. The assessment results suggest that platform can be real alternative form the evidence-based medical decision-making.

Development and Evaluation of a Crowdsourcing Platform for Education and Evidence-Based Medical Decision-Making

ABSTRACT The medical education for clinical decision-making has undergone changes in recent years. Previously supported by printed material, problem solving in clinical practice has recently been aided by digital tools known as summaries platforms. Doctors and medical students have been using such tools from questions found in practice scenarios. These platforms have the advantage of high-quality, evidence-based and always up-to-date content. Its popularization was mainly due to the rise of the internet use and, more recently, of mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, facilitating their use in clinical practice. Despite this platform is widely available, the most of them actually present several access barriers as costs, foreign language and not be able to Brazilian epidemiology. A free national platform of evidence-based medical summaries was proposed, using the crowdsourcing concept to resolve those barriers. Furthermore, concepts of gamification and content evaluation were implemented. Also, there is the possibility of evaluation by the users, who assigns note for each content created. The platform was built with modern technological tools and made available for web and mobile application. After development, an evaluation process was conducted by researchers to attest to the valid of content, usability, and user satisfying. Consolidated questionnaires and evaluation tools by the literature were applied. The process of developing the digital platform fostered interdisciplinarity, from the involvement of medical and information technology professionals. The work also allowed the reflection on the innovative educational processes, in which the learning from real life problems and the construction of knowledge in a collaborative way are integrated. The assessment results suggest that platform can be real alternative form the evidence-based medical decision-making.

Reform of the three-stage experimental teaching of medical laboratory technology

In order to adapt to the training target of medical laboratory technology professionals under the condition of five to four educational system, we reformed the experimental teaching of medical laboratory technology. The experiment teaching was dividedthree phases (traditional classroom teaching + simulated clinical laboratory training + clinical laboratory teaching). Classroom teaching focused on the cultivation of students' basic skills test; simulation laboratory training focused on strengthening the students' operating skills and basic post ability and professional quality; hospital laboratory teaching focused on strengthening the students' ability of medical laboratory management, test comprehensive analysis and sci-entific research. The reform practice of two sessions of the students showed that the students' examination skills and comprehensive quality improved significantly, which could better adapt to the social demand for technical personnel. Key words: three-step experiment teaching mode; Medical laboratory technology; Simulated clinical laboratory; Clinical laboratory teaching

Retention factors in relation to organisational commitment in medical and information technology services

Orientation: Retaining staff with scarce and critical skills in the medical and information technology (IT) industry has become a top priority because of skills shortages.Research purpose: The objectives of the study were to investigate empirically: (1) the relationship between employees’ satisfaction with organisational retention factors (measured by the Retention Factors Scale) and their organisational commitment (measured by the Organisational Commitment Questionnaire) and (2) whether gender, age, race and tenure groups differ significantly in terms of these variables.Motivation for the study: Medical and information technology professionals have specialised and hard to replace skills. They also have strong tendencies to leave their organisations and countries. Understanding the retention factors that will increase their organisational commitment may benefit the organisations who want to retain their valuable talent.Research design, approach and method: The researchers used a cross-sectional survey design to collect data from a purposive sample of 206 staff members who had scarce skills in a South African medical and information technology services company. Correlational and inferential statistics were computed to achieve the objectives.Main findings: The results showed that the participants’ satisfaction with retention factors has a significant relationship with their organisational commitment and that the biographical groups differ significantly in terms of the variables.Practical/managerial implications: The measured retention factors were all associated with human resource management practices that influence employees’ intentions to leave.Contribution/value-add: The results are important to managers who are interested in retaining staff who have scarce skills and provide valuable pointers for designing effective retention strategies.

Breaking Ground: What's New in Hospital Design, Construction?

hen the new, state-of-the-art Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, VA, opens ahead of schedule and under budget in 2011, medical technology professionals will be more than mere bystanders at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Instead, the clinical engineering department there will be celebrating its “instrumental” role in every aspect of the construction, from the building design to the selection of materials and equipment down to the unseen— but enormously important—details behind the walls and ceilings in every room. Traditionally, healthcare construction and renovation projects have been the domain of architects, engineers, and contractors on the building side; and institutional leaders, facilities, finance, and purchasing managers on the healthcare side. Compared to these key players, medical technology professionals have played a bit part, mostly in their core realm of medical equipment. Over the past few years, that seems to be changing. Medical technology professionals are increasingly involved in construction and renovation project teams, from concept to completion. Why? In a word, it’s all about value-added. “Biomedical and clinical engineering are vital to the success of any hospital construction, expansion, remodeling, or development where medical devices may be used,” says Mike Papa, biomedical supervisor at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem, PA. Nowadays, of course, that’s everywhere. Plus, medical and information technology (IT) are rapidly converging—and becoming a highly complex centerpiece of clinical services. Building designs, specifications, and construction must accommodate this new technology—and the clinicians who use it to manage patient care, safety, and outcomes. This will become a more urgent priority as momentum grows for medical device interoperability and the “meaningful use” of electronic health records. The Health Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) has recommended that a standard for remote monitoring medical device interoperability (IS77) be available by 2015 or sooner. “Since biomedical and clinical engineering professionals are subject matter experts for a large variety of medical devices, they have the ability to see the big picture during construction projects,” says Papa, who has worked on several smalland large-scale projects at St. Luke’s. “Biomedical engineering technicians and clinical engineers understand the clinical goals and can translate those goals into terms that general contractors, architects, and engineers can build upon.” Working with IT professionals, for example, “they can determine the true cost of deployment and ownership to obtain the real investment in technology,” says Tom Boston, project engineer at Global Technology Resources, Inc., an IT integration consulting firm in Denver, CO. Martha Vockley is principal of VockleyLang, LLC, a communications and marketing firm based in Reston, VA. E-mail: mmv@cox.net Martha Vockley What’s New in Hospital Design, Construction? Breaking Ground

Retired Biomeds Find Time for New Hobbies, Old Interests

Retired Biomeds Find Time for New Hobbies, Old Interests

A Time to Act

The name of this column is Frontlines, a particularly fitting title in the context of our cover story on infusion pump safety.Between 2005 and 2009, there were some 56,000 infusion pump incidents reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including hundreds of deaths or injuries to patients. During that same time period, there were dozens of pump recalls. It's not too far a stretch to think of such sobering statistics as a call to battle.Our story—“First, Do No Harm: Making Infusion Pumps Safer”—by Jody Lannen Brady sheds light on the frontlines of the effort to turn things around. To be sure, there have been improvements. But not enough.As Nat Sims, MD and co-chair of AAMI's Infusion Device Committee, puts it: “We are only at the beginning of what will be a lengthy process of focusing on infusion pumps and on patient safety when patients are receiving IV infusions.”October's summit on infusion device safety—hosted by AAMI and FDA—is part of that effort to usher in a new era of greater safety for this critical equipment.Infusion pumps are not the only concern for medical technology professionals. Medicine is going through some remarkable changes, including the rise of home healthcare. Manufacturers face a challenge in designing products that patients themselves—not just clinicians—will use. Cathy Cruise has details in Standards & Regulatory Watch.Robert Stiefel tackles another issue—how to manage non-hospital owned medical equipment. He offers concrete suggestions in Accreditation News & Views.We also have an interview with the president of the National Patient Safety Foundation. In View From the Top, Diane C. Pinakiewicz talks about how biomedical equipment technicians and clinical engineers have become a “cornerstone” in the effort to reduce medical errors.That observation isn't too surprising for AAMI members. But it's nice to hear that, increasingly, biomeds are seen as a crucial part of a healthcare system that never loses sight of its primary focus—helping patients heal.

Biomed Roundup

It's all about change and accountability.That's the message being delivered to medical technology professionals as healthcare reform moves forward, technology evolves ever faster, and hospitals look for ways to cut costs and improve quality.“You have an opportunity to frame and manage your future—and if you don't, that opportunity may become a threat because you could be left in the dust if you don't position yourself to be ready for new and expanded roles,” AAMI President Mary Logan told the crowd at the Clinical Engineering Association of Illinois' meeting in August.In three to five years—or even less in some cases—hospitals will become one big connected system of clinical equipment, Logan said. “If you are fortunate, you will be the person responsible for a small device that is not much more than a computer and printer that prints out the color coded labels for all patient syringes (no more hand labels). Would you know what to do if you were responsible for maintaining a pocket-sized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine? Are you ready? Is your hospital ready?”One idea that's generating some buzz these days: accountable care organizations (ACO). The basic concept is a new emphasis on hospitals and doctors working together to improve the delivery of healthcare and reduce costs.Under a program set to become operational by 2012 and run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a hospital can volunteer to become an ACO.An ACO, according to CMS, agrees to be “accountable for the quality, cost, and overall care of Medicare beneficiaries.” Each year an ACO stays in the program, it receives a share of any savings in Medicare reimbursements.Clinical engineers and biomeds, says Carol Davis-Smith, a director at Premier Inc. in Phoenix and chair of AAMI's Technology Management Council (TMC), need to help their facilities become ACOs.They should focus on how technology is used “in the right place, at the right time, with the right people, communicating in the right way, and using the technology in the most appropriate manner,” Davis-Smith said in an August speech before the California Medical Instrumentation Association.In her keynote address, Logan hit on the same point: “How clinical technology is used to make a decision at bedside is your talent.”It's not technology itself that's changing, but also where and how it's being used. More healthcare is moving outside of hospitals and into patient homes and outpatient centers. “This requires a whole new type of planning and deployment and maintenance function,” Logan said.Biomeds and clinical engineers, she said, need to understand they are part of a systems approach to clinical equipment, and develop new skills, including:Greater collaboration with other departments, such as information technology (IT) and nursing, will be key. Connecting with the C-Suite, Logan advised, is critical, so biomeds and clinical engineers can advance the interests of their departments, and play a role in hospital-wide policies and decisions.“Your world is changing rapidly. Healthcare is in transition,” Logan said. “It's up to you to be resilient and adapt to the changes around you. This is the corner of the universe you can be certain of improving.”

Rebirth of a Profession: Hybrid Positions on the Rise in Clinical, Manufacturing Settings

n the not-so-distant future, the professionals who keep medical devices humming might not have the job title or responsibilities of today’s “clinical engineer” (CE) or “ biomedical equipment technician (BMET).” That’s because working with medical devices increasingly requires a skill set that goes beyond those of many medical technology professionals in the field today. Hospitals and manufacturers are responding by creating new, hybrid jobs that require a broader range of skills. Moreover, more institutions are realigning their organizational, operational, and reporting structures to reflect the changing nature of job roles and responsibilities. In this environment, the days of carving a career out of “fixing boxes,” in the words of several medical technology professionals, is giving way to an era of new opportunities for careers focused on integrating, managing, and servicing highly sophisticated and interconnected systems.

Opening Doors: Get Noticed by the C-Suite

the C-Suite? Many clinical engineers and biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) don’t think so. You and your clinical customers see your contributions to quality patient care and safety throughout the clinical environment, from patient monitoring to diagnosis to treatment. To some in the C-Suite, however, you might as well be invisible. Lack of recognition, respect, and support from the C-Suite—chief executive, financial, and information officers—is a sore spot for many medical technology professionals. That’s why AAMI’s Technology Management Council (TMC) has made it a key priority this year to provide tools to help individuals promote the work of clinical engineering (CE) departments to senior hospital executives. “Ultimately, the clinical engineering department reports to the hospital’s or health system’s senior leaders,” says Carol Davis-Smith, a director with Premier Inc. and TMC chair. “AAMI can communicate the concepts around technology management and clinical engineering. However, it will take the individuals themselves to truly advance the profession in the minds of the C-Suite.” To support individual efforts, BI&T reached out to medical technology professionals who have managed to raise their departments’ visibility with the C-Suite. Their advice could help you achieve the same success. Take Care of the Basics For many medical technology professionals, “no news is good news.” That’s the first insight from two people who should know: David Braeutigam, director of biomedical engineering at Baylor Health Care System, and Paul Kelley, manager of biomedical engineering and the green initiative at Washington Hospital Heathcare System in Fremont, CA. By this they mean, of course, that CE departments tend to get the limelight when they least want it—in cases of medical equipment or device incidents. Incidents are a sure-fire way to get the attention of the C-Suite, but this is hardly the kind of attention anyone wants. Therefore, before even thinking about stepping out for C-Suite recognition, make sure your department provides outstanding core services—equipment maintenance, repair, and deployment—day in and day out. Patient safety and risk management are the first line of duty. Moreover, it’s a smart strategy to extend this modus operandi to even the most mundane equipment, says Brian Poplin, senior vice president of ARAMARK clinical technology services. Medical technology professionals get special satisfaction from servicing high-end, sophisticated equipment, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners and operating rooms devices. Most patients, however, never undergo these diagnostics or see the scanners—and they’re sedated in the operating room. Instead, what they and their families see is routine equipment such as patient monitors and infusion pumps in hospital rooms. “You can’t underestimate the cleanliness and overall Martha Vockley is principal of VockleyLang, LLC, a communications and marketing firm based in Reston, VA. E-mail: mmv@cox.net Martha Vockley Opening Doors Get Noticed by the C-Suite

MediSend Strives to Transform Healthcare in Developing Countries

MediSend Strives to Transform Healthcare in Developing Countries

Competencies of Career-Entry Medical Technology Graduates of Lyceum of Batangas: Basis for Enhancement of the Internship Training Program

The role of medical technologists in the clinical laboratory has changed within the last five years due to changes in the laboratory environment. Substantial modification in the medical technology curriculum is needed to prepare graduates for technologic, regulatory, staffing and operational changes in laboratory medicine. It is the ultimate goal of the College to prepare students for career entry positions as medical technology professionals. The curriculum should be designed to prepare the graduates and demonstrate the core competencies expected of them in the workplace. It is for this reason that this study was conducted to assess the career entry level competencies expected of the graduates of the College of Medical Technology of Lyceum of Batangas. Findings of the study served as basis in enhancing the curriculum to make it more responsive to the needs of local and international healthcare systems. Using a descriptive method, the respondents were the chief medical technologists and immediate supervisors of selected hospitals who have as their staff LB Medical Technology graduates under the AHSE curriculum (2002-2006). A total of 77/138 (56%) graduates were evaluated using a structured type of questionnaire following a Likert scale with 5 as the highest and one as the lowest values. The parameters in the questionnaire were derived from the model formulated from the various competency-based standards of various local and international accrediting professional associations.

New Challenges Increase Emphasis on Cutting Costs, Demonstrating Value

Several factors are driving rapid changes in healthcare: uncertainty over healthcare reform, cost pressures from a weakened economy, rapid change due to the influx of information technologies, and preparation for the H1N1 flu pandemic. In response to this changing environment, medical technology professionals are adding new goals for 2010 aimed at improving efficiency and demonstrating the value of themselves and their departments. Here’s a look at the 2010 goals of some AAMI members:

Advice to Live By... The Keys to Countering Stress

An important deadline is looming, and work is piling up because of a staff transition in your office. There are new regulations that you need to learn about and committee meetings to attend. Your “to-do list” is overflowing.With so many decisions impacting patient safety, it's no surprise that healthcare is often considered a stressful job. So what steps can you take to cope?According to stress experts, it's often helpful to step away from a stressful situation—to get out behind your desk and walk through the office or near your building to exercise. And, it can also be very helpful to discuss stress with family members or friends, and to take stressful conditions at work in stride. Think about something pleasant.Some medical technology professionals say it's helpful to leave work at work. “A job is a job. Sometimes it is easier to walk away from a problem that you can't resolve and work it out in your head that night or the next day,” says Ron Greenwalt, biomedical manager for the Children's Medical Center, Dallas, TX.No matter how much you love your job, don't make it your whole life. When Paul Sherman, a biomedical engineer for the Department of Veteran Affairs, clocks out of work, he turns his attention to rebuilding a 1940 Chevrolet hot rod. “Find a mechanism when you go home to relieve any stress you might carry with you,” he suggests.When stress is significant, take a time-out, stress experts say. A few minutes away from a problem can help. Allowing ample time to complete tasks is also important, because being overly busy is often a major source of stress. Build enough time into your schedule to deal with the unexpected issues of the day.“Have a good handle on time, and the overall time and project management,” advises Izabella Gieras, ARAMARK Healthcare director of the clinical engineering department at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. “I think that is very important, along with the ability to prioritize your tasks.”It's also important to find ways to gain control over your duties, says Paul J. Rosch, MD, a stress relief expert with the American Stress Institute. “Avoid excessive demands by learning to say ‘no’ when they are unreasonable,” he says. “Many times we create our own stress by faulty perceptions and taking on too much of a load.”Obviously, though, some things are beyond one's control. Using the economy as an example, Rosch offers the following advice. “If you can't fight and you can't flee, you have to learn to flow.” The best way to avoid being laid off or demoted is to demonstrate your value to the company by performing your duties as competently and efficiently as possible, and to avoid confrontations with customers, co-workers, and superiors.”Medical technology managers can also take steps to promote less stressful work environments for themselves and their staffs. One key tip is to be forthcoming with information about layoffs or budget cuts to your staff, Rosch says. This will help overcome any anxieties.Managers and co-workers should also learn to control their emotions, and not over react to a certain situation. Give yourself a few minutes to cool off before calling a vendor or speaking with a co-worker, Rosch suggests. Managers should be alert to any change in an employee's behavior and their ability to work with customers, coworkers, or superiors, as well as unexplained change in health to detect early warning signs of stress.Making sure that your staff has the appropriate tools and resources in place to do their jobs is not only a vital responsibility for any manager, but an important way to reduce stress. Taking the time to learn about your employees can also reduce stress and heighten workplace morale. “Look at what their interests and key strengths are so you can place them in a situation to maximize their talents where they can be more successful,” Gieras says.

Inside AAMI

AAMI's Clinical Engineering Management Committee (CEMC) has expanded to include 10 new members to work on projects affecting clinical engineering managers around the world. They will tackle projects ranging from the development of competency guidelines for medical technology professionals to a book about biomed staffing.The new CEMC members include:More information about the CEMC can be found at www.aami.org/cemc.A revised AAMI standard offers device manufacturers new guidance on how to improve the safety of medical device materials.ANSI/AAMI/ISO 10993-5:2009, Biological evaluation of medical devices—Part 5: Tests for in vitro cytotoxicity, offers new information on test methods and evaluation criteria for in vitro cytotoxicity. This revised standard is an update to the 1999 edition of the standard.Manufacturers use in vitro cytotoxicity testing to cost-effectively and efficiently evaluate medical device materials for their potential to cause harm. An in vitro cytotoxicity test works by putting a device or material in a solvent at a certain temperature for a period of time. The revised standard contains new information to promote more objectivity in testing.To order, call (877) 249-8226 or visit http://marketplace.aami.org. List price: $70, member price $35 (order code 1099305 or 1099305-PDF, source code PB).