Then again, it's possible that the FDA docket will ultimately amount to nothing. Gabe Viscomi, vice president of service at Block Imaging, predicted there will not be enough evidence for a change to happen within the industry. Even though the FDA will look through the comments made and select the few with substantial evidence, the information may not be sufficient.

The gray area between Health IT and HTM departments

In a session entitled The new health care technology world closing coverage gaps through health care management and information technology collaboration, speakers Michael Byrne, Joseph DeLuca and Scott Nudelman, all from GE Healthcare, addressed the rapid growth of networked system integration and allocating specifying roles to a specific department.



The path between a patient monitor and hospital network of wireless monitors is often filled with "gaps" such as an OEM switch, a core switch, and router. For a hospital that has no specific department in charge of these areas, problems may arise.

The presenters gave a real-life example of a hospital (kept anonymous) in which the patient monitors were run by IT and the wireless monitors were run by HTMs, and how the two departments worked together to resolve any confusion about who was responsible for what.

Steps were created to identify the gaps, and figure out how to assign them to a team before a “breakdown” occurs, as follows:

• Identify gaps in service stratification and tech issues


• Prioritization: understand impact of failure on patient safety and impact to organization


• Service strategy: understand service stratification requirements


• Develop solutions for each gap identified


• Implement solutions and put them into action


• Monitor solution performance: confirm implemented solution meets the needs identified


• Continue to develop solutions: work through identified issues and add new systems as they come online

“We have to stop saying ‘biomed.’ We have to stop saying ‘IT.’ We have to starting saying ‘we,’” said Scott, which was met with loud applause and cheering from the audience.

Keep smartphones out of medical device USB ports

During an open discussion about issues facing HTMs, misuse of USB ports — which can cause medical devices to malfunction — was a prevalent problem expressed by many attendees. The issue was also big enough to land it on ECRI's list of Top 10 Health Technology Hazards of 2016.

With so many medical devices hooked up to a USB port, and most hospital staffers carrying cell phones that require a USB to charge, these ports are frequently working overtime as charging stations. This can lead to technical issues since the medical device is now reading information that it does not know how to process.

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