The Technology Management Council

Survey and AAMI's BMET Task Force Help Pinpoint BMET Needs

LONG BEACH, CA—BMETs want greater access to regulatory decision-makers, regional educational programs, more information about “best practices” employed by their colleagues around the country, and a greater recognition of the importance of their work.

Those are among the conclusions of a new BMET Survey, conducted by an independent research firm retained by AAMI, to examine the changing needs of the BMET community and what steps might be taken to better address these needs.

Sixty-seven percent of the BMETs surveyed said that they are satisfied with AAMI’s current organizational structure, but said a greater emphasis and more resources could be placed on providing services to BMETs. In short, the BMETs surveyed appeared to feel more strongly about the services they need than they did about any particular form of organization that could provide these services.

In the spring of 2003, the AAMI Executive Committee created a task force of BMETs and other interested members to help develop and review the implications of the survey results. This task force will help AAMI leaders and staff evaluate the current means by which AAMI provides BMET members with a voice within AAMI, and the services that AAMI is providing and can provide to BMETs in the future. The survey and task force are part of an overall effort by the AAMI Board of Directors to develop an optimum relationship with BMETs that best serves BMETs and the rest of AAMI’s membership.

A random and statistically valid sample of AAMI members and non-member customers who are BMETs took part in the survey, which was conducted in May. The results were released and reviewed for the first time in June at AAMI’s Annual Conference in Long Beach by AAMI’s Board, BMET Task Force members, and by members present at the annual AAMI membership business meeting.

“AAMI will increase its efforts and resources to provide quality, meaningful services for the BMET community through conferences, publications, certification, and other educational programs,” noted AAMI President Mike Miller. “Through this new BMET Task Force effort, AAMI has reinforced its long-standing commitment to use its significant and unique resources to provide recognition to BMETs for the major contribution they make to health care and to provide the services that BMETs want and need that will enhance this recognition and contribution.”

According to the results, more than half the BMET membership surveyed gave AAMI a high rating for “advancing the field of medical technology management within the health care Survey and AAMI’s system” and also gave AAMI a high rating for representing and building recognition for professionals in the management and use of technology.”

In terms of overall effective ratings relative to existing services provided by AAMI to the BMET community, 40 percent of AAMI members surveyed gave AAMI a “high” rating. In relative terms this “high” rating provides an important benchmark for improving services to the BMET community. The remaining members were quite satisfied with AAMI, but suggested constructive ways for AAMI to improve this rating.

During a report presented to the membership during the recent AAMI Annual Conference, President Mike Miller stated that “the survey doesn’t require any fundamental change in the way that AAMI serves BMETs, but it does suggest several new and important areas of programming. The AAMI leadership and staff will work with the task force to evaluate the most appropriate organizational structure within AAMI to give BMETs the voice they want in AAMI and in the field.”

AAMI is already taking major actions to improve services to BMETs. For example, AAMI is preparing a special publication focused on the role of information technology in health care, which is due out later this year and will be available to all AAMI members. In addition, AAMI is planning to publish a salary survey later this year to help BMETs and clinical engineers benchmark their salaries and other relevant career information. This will be one of the few truly independent and objective studies conducted in the field to date. Steps are also being taken to increase career services offered through AAMI’s Web site, www.aami.org. A number of other benefits are also under consideration by BMET Task Force members and AAMI leaders.

During its meeting on June 15, the BMET Task Force suggested a number of areas of potential service, including efforts to provide appropriate recognition for the important role of BMETs play in health care. AAMI leaders are evaluating other recommendations by the task force and plan to publish articles throughout the year in AAMI publications and on the AAMI Web site about this BMET initiative.

According to the survey results, 62 percent of BMET members hold some form of professional certification—most being certified biomedical equipment technicians (CBET) under the AAMI sponsored and funded program.

Nearly half of both AAMI members and non-members surveyed said they do not expect to see their roles and responsibilities change significantly in the next three years. Most BMETs perceived that little if any growth has occurred in the number of BMETs employed in their facilities.

However, the BMET Task Force members who examined the survey results raised questions about the conclusions pertaining to roles and responsibilities. “There are changes in the field,” said Jim Kenyon, CBET, Supervisor of the Biomedical Department at Good Samaritan Hospital in Washington. “Our biomed department moved to IT two years ago, and my position was elevated as a result. We have more invested with high-tech issues.” Survey results confirm this reaction relative to increasing IT responsibilities for a significant number of BMETs.

In future studies, AAMI will correlate BMET success and recognition with such factors as the numbers of years of AAMI membership, AAMI annual conference participation, and AAMI sponsored certification.

To comment on the survey results as presented in this article, please e-mail Steve Campbell at scampbell@aami.org.

SOURCE: AAMI News, Vol. 38, No.7, July/August 2003

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