From the President ... Mary Logan
September 27, 2012
AAMI, a ‘Hub’ of Activity
Many AAMI conversations are about the convergence of technologies in healthcare, whether it be drugs and devices, or devices with IT. As we enter autumn and take stock of all that we are doing, it might be helpful to conjure up an image of a bicycle wheel and think of AAMI as the hub, working with a host of stakeholders in advancing the safe and effective use of medical technology. This hub of activity includes:
- AAMI-FDA Interoperability Summit: On Oct. 2-3, a community of more than 200 multi-disciplinary stakeholders will discuss and set priorities for the top issues around medical device integration.
- AAMI-ACCE-ASHE-ECRI Wireless Workshop: On Oct. 4-5, a network of at least 90 experts will come together to discuss and set priorities for the top wireless challenges in healthcare.
- NQF Comments: Earlier this week, the AAMI Foundation’s Healthcare Technology Safety Institute submitted expert comments to the National Quality Forum related to an NQF project and draft paper on infusion safety. Device integration is a key component of the desired future state.
- September/October BI&T: The cover story of the new issue of BI&T addresses progress made on infusion safety since the 2010 AAMI-FDA Infusion Systems Summit. I hope the article inspires you as much as it inspired and re-energized me, and reaffirmed that, together, we are on the right track.
- Fall 2012 Horizons on Mobile Health: The latest edition of AAMI’s special, single-topic publication focuses on mHealth, with articles that examine technology and design issues, security and regulatory challenges, and the always-insightful roundtable of experts talking about the promise and challenges from a technology perspective.
- Future Forum II: The three-day event that AAMI hosted earlier this month brought together representatives from across the healthcare technology management (HTM) field who are dedicated to setting a sweeping vision for its future. Not surprisingly, managing integrated devices is a big part of that vision.
- AAMI-UL Collaboration: We made AAMI and UL history with a formal agreement to collaborate on a suite of interoperability standards.
Sometimes the spokes on the wheel spin so fast that we may feel dizzy at the hub. But, like a bicycle, we’re moving forward, supported by those strong spokes—you, an amazing community of people who are passionate about addressing the challenging issues that arise from the rapid pace of change with technology and in healthcare generally. Thank you for suggesting summit topics, insisting on the need for a wireless workshop, submitting articles to BI&T and Horizons, introducing us to new people, being jazzed by multi-disciplinary collaboration, weighing in on the future of the HTM profession, and more. Join me and my colleagues for a great ride!
Kindest Regards,
Mary Logan, JD, CAE
AAMI President
mlogan@aami.org
+1-703-253-8265