Medical Devices: Improving Health Care Through a Multidisciplinary Approach

This book provides caregivers and administrators with high-quality support for strategic decision making in the selection and use of medical devices so as to ensure value optimization. Medical treatment is increasingly complex, with wide application of medical devices and corresponding involvement of physics and engineering. A multidisciplinary methodology that brings together expertise from key disciplines in a holistic, system-oriented approach is essential in controlling this complexity and further improving health care. This book will help readers to understand the design, validation, and application of medical devices and the standards and regulations that apply to them across the world. In addition, it provides technical, operational, and economic perspectives on their use. The relevance of concepts such as expenditure optimization and sustainability to medical device technology is explained and healthcare reimbursement systems are discussed from different points of view. Readers will gain a clear appreciation of the managerial and economic implications of the use of medical devices and how to get the most out of them. Academic research, industrial experiences, and case studies are presented as appropriate.