Medical technology and IT professionals are hungry for information on emerging technologies and guidance on the integration of IT systems in the healthcare environment, according to the results of a major new industry survey.

The online survey was conducted recently by the new CE-IT Community, a coalition of three national associations including the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the American College of Clinical Engineering (ACCE), and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

The survey-which attracted more than 470 respondents-was developed to identify the major needs facing the members of the three sponsoring organizations, so that the CE-IT Community could then address those needs through several specific projects in the months ahead.
According to the survey results, the overwhelming majority of the respondents want the CE-IT Community to develop and share best practices and to be kept informed about new standards and regulations and new technologies. In addition, the majority of the respondents said that it would be helpful if the CE-IT Community helped ensure that new technology weaves into current technology without precluding connectivity in the future.

The respondents also expressed strong support for sharing business plans, goals, and mission statements between IT and clinical engineering groups, and a desire to gather diverse stakeholders to discuss IT issues of mutual interest.

When asked which specific CE-IT issues they would want addressed, there were several specific requests. Respondents asked for more guidance on:

1. Integration of systems/devices in multi-vendor environment
2. Developing an IT infrastructure to adequately support medical technology
3. Recommendations and guidance on implementing new technologies, including wireless systems, and
4. Guidance on FDA regulations

Survey respondents also said they wanted more guidance on developing a collaborative relationship between IT and clinical engineering; and up-to-date information on IT standards, IT issues related to facility upgrades and the environment, and IT security issues. Issues that scored the lowest were guidance on picture archiving and communications systems, deploying intranet technology, and upgrades of network infrastructure.

The survey results and the proposed projects that will be undertaken will be explored during an online IT Town Hall meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, July 15 at 2 pm ET. Details of the conference call will be available at www.ceitcollaboration.org.