I recently received a press release on new research from HIMSS Analytics and The Advisory Board that indicated “hospitals with advanced electronic medical records (EMR) systems (Stage 6 or Stage 7) report achieving a broad range of benefits from their implementations, including clinical quality, patient safety, and operational efficiencies.”

HIMSS Analytics, a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), stated in the release that all respondent hospitals indicated having realized and documented at least one core measure benefit and one safety measure benefit from EMR implementation. Safety measures included reducing adverse drug effects (94%) and other safety indicators (91%).

I know many of you are working on EMR implementation and I’m interested to know what benefits your facility has seen, whether workflow, safety, or any other benefits.

It’s that time of year again when departments can celebrate Healthcare Technology Management Week, May 20 through 26, sponsored by AAMI’s Technology Management Council.

What’s on your agenda to commemorate the week? William Cannella, CBET, and his team at University Health System have big plans for the week. Here’s what he told 24x7:

“We are using a photo for Biomedical Technicians Day during Healthcare Technology Management Week here in San Antonio. We have a day for technicians (on May 22 this year) where we have an open reception to meet and greet our coworkers and celebrate the profession. We get an official proclamation from the mayor and put out finger food all day. We even rollout the November 2010 24x7 display made up from In The News. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, stop by and say Hi.”

I wish I could, but maybe the team can post some photos on our Facebook page. And, I’d love to hear what other departments are doing. Share your ideas, post your photos, and promote, promote, promote!

Many members of the biomed community have shown concern for the increasing lack of employer-paid training. The 24x7 2011 Compensation Survey bears that out: 55% of respondents reported receiving less than 20 hours of training during the year, and 66% said they received no management training at all. Jenifer Brown, president and owner of the newly founded Health Tech Talent Management LLC, Virginia Beach, Va, feels that when employers stop paying for training, biomeds should be proactive about searching for independent training opportunities.

“No one looks out for your career better than yourself,” Brown says. “If you know as a candidate that you’re not getting the training or advancement that you need, then you need to be the one to take control of that and get the additional training and education, even if it means paying out of your own pocket. It’s your career path that we’re talking about. A lot of candidates expect the employers to take care of their career but that’s not the way anymore; you have to take care of it.”

The compensation survey also showed that only 24% of respondents are currently pursuing formal education, a seemingly disproportionate number for a field that requires near-constant education.

What solutions have you found to decreasing training opportunities funded by employers? Do you actively seek out educational opportunities on your own or do you know peers that have taken this approach?

For more from Brown, make sure to catch my interview with her in the May issue of 24x7.

It is pretty exciting to see all the innovations coming through in health care, whether it is more targeted therapy or utilizing technology that simplifies workflow. Still, many of the devices used everyday come from inventive minds that have never had to use them. As a result, when these land at the feet of the end user, it just may be that certain improvements can make the product even more dynamic.

In my April “Up Front” column, I shared a statistic from Thomson Reuters Intellectual Property Solutions’ “2011 State of Innovation” report. According to the report, 58,592 medical device patents were filed worldwide in 2011 in categories that included diagnosis and surgery and medical aids. The medical devices industry’s greatest single source of new patent activity, according to the report, was from the category of diagnosis and surgery, with 22,864 global patents in 2011.

What probably were not covered in that report were three imaginative clinical/biomedical engineering departments that used their expertise to create better products. Check out 24x7’s November 2010 and February 2011 cover profiles and our March 2012 “Soapbox” to read how they came up with solutions to improve workflow and safety.

How about you or your department? Share your improvements or ideas by blogging with us here.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Jenifer Brown, president and owner of the newly founded Health Tech Talent Management LLC for an upcoming Industry Insider column. Brown specializes in talent management and acquisition and offers placement services for both biomeds as well as facilities. After working in the industry for a number of years, she saw a need in the industry to begin her own company and take on a greater role in the placement of biomeds and health care professionals.

In the past, I have spoken with members of local biomed associations who say that many members use meetings as a way to network professionally and discover new employment opportunities. However, I have never spoken with biomeds who have said that they utilize talent management firms like Health Tech Talent Management LLC to assist in job placement. Have you or any of your coworkers used these services to help find a position in the clinical engineering industry? If so, would you recommend these services to your contemporaries?

Recently, I received an e-mail asking if I had heard from anyone regarding noise emissions to their telemetry systems caused by a defective ballast in the hospital’s lighting system. I had not, but I pose the question to all of you, here’s what he said:

“At a number of hospitals, we had users reporting intermittent dropouts with our 608 MHz medical band patient telemetry systems. We were able to trace the source of the issue to RF [radio frequency] interference caused by faulty fluorescent lighting systems. In some cases the problem was traced to faulty ICN-4P32-SC ballasts, but at other times it was identified to be faulty T8 light bulbs that were arcing. The telemetry drop out could be reproduced by turning on the faulty lights and eliminated by turning off the same lights in a particular room or area of the hospital.”

He continued saying, “After the hospital facility team replaced the faulty ballasts and/or light bulbs, the noise was no longer seen on our RF network—and the user no longer experienced dropouts. Hospitals installing the high efficient energy saving fluorescent lighting should be made aware of this potential problem.”

Let us know if this has also been a problem for you and any other suggestions you have.

In writing an article for 24x7 sister publication Imaging Economics, I spoke with Barry D. Pressman, MD, FACR, professor and chairman of the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center and Department, and Chief of the Section of Neuroradiology and Head and Neck Radiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. At Pressman’s facility, the radiology department recently strove to change its safety culture and make patient safety a primary consideration in every action or process. The department traveled to other hospitals to gain an understanding of what to do, and have since instituted a safety committee, a system of checks and balances, and various bookkeeping methods to ensure safety. And the proof is in the pudding: patient satisfaction surveys are through the roof.

I was asked to profile the department and this safety program because of how innovative and forward-thinking it is. Since many of the processes and jobs of biomeds are inherently focused on patient safety, it is possible that there are cultural programs like the one at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center dedicated to patient safety. If not, there are almost certainly steps that you take to improve patient safety above and beyond the norm. What are some of the things that your biomed shop does to improve patient safety? Are there any unique programs that your facility has instituted?

In the last few years, the focus on the “network” has caused many a biomed consternation. Some, however, have taken this transition in stride and have educated themselves to expand their skills. Whatever the perspective, it has become evident that it’s not going away. As hospitals roll out the electronic health record (EHR) and radiology expands its use of the “cloud” to store images, clinical/biomedical engineering involvement will only increase.

A significant aspect of the EHR and the cloud relates to security. And, the truth is, these concerns move beyond health care. This week, the Air Force Association will hold its Second Annual CyberFutures Conference and Technology Exposition in National Harbor, Md, to explore what it calls “the nation’s newest and most challenging area of industry, commerce, government, and defense—cyber.”

For two days, attendees can connect with leaders from the Air Force, government, industry, and academia through sessions that will address such topics as “Securing the Cloud,” “21st Century Cyber Attacks,” and “Defending the Cyber Realm.” It will also feature a panel covering “Industrial Cyber Security.”

If you have taken networking courses, how much of the curriculum centered on security aspects?  I know many of you have been involved in EHR implementation, but what part has security played in this? Has it been a major focus? How is your hospital addressing this very important issue? Your tips are welcome.

One topic that frequently arises when speaking with leaders of local biomed associations is travel distance for many members. Often, the association tries to place itself in a centralized location for its member base, but unfortunately, many times, members still need to drive upwards of an hour or two simply to attend meetings. With escalating gas prices and strenuous work schedules, this distance likely accounts for much of the low attendance at biomed meetings.

If you struggle with attendance at association meetings, is it because of travel distance or are there other factors? Has your local biomed association made an attempt to move meetings to different locations in an effort to reduce travel time for some of its more distant members? If not, have leaders/members ever broached the topic during meetings?

Associations are also utilizing teleconferences and Web resources to reach members at distant locations. Some groups will broadcast meetings live via their Web site, while others supply the educational materials at a later date. Has your local biomed association begun using these Web resources?

This year, Joint Commission Resources (JCR) decided to honor Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 4 through March 10, by offering free articles, tips, and tools from JCR each day.

It says it applauds your efforts for ongoing attention to improvements in patient safety and quality. Have you taken advantage of any of JCR’s offerings? Is this week important to your department and your hospital?

What is your facility doing to raise awareness? We welcome your ideas.