What is Health Technology Management (HTM)?
Health Technology Management (HTM) is a multidisciplinary field focused on effectively planning, acquiring, implementing, and maintaining medical technologies within healthcare organisations. HTM encompasses a wide array of activities, from the assessment of emerging technologies to the optimisation of existing systems, with a consistent focus on ensuring the safe and effective use of medical equipment and devices.
In the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, sophisticated health technologies play a pivotal role in improving patient outcomes and enhancing operational efficiency. While these innovations promise to improve patient care, they also present complex procurement, integration, and ongoing support challenges. Effective health technology management is essential to harnessing its full potential while mitigating risks and optimising resource utilisation.
Needs assessment and organisational goals
One of HTM’s primary objectives is aligning technology investments with strategic goals and clinical needs. This involves conducting comprehensive needs assessments, evaluating available options, and making informed decisions about acquiring and deploying medical devices and health infrastructure. By leveraging data analytics and evidence-based practices, HTM professionals can identify opportunities for innovation and efficiency, ensuring that investments yield tangible benefits in terms of patient outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and workflow optimisation.
Maintenance and calibration
HTM also encompasses the ongoing maintenance, calibration and optimisation of medical technologies to maximise lifespan and performance. This includes routine maintenance activities such as preventive maintenance, calibration, software updates, and troubleshooting and repair services to address equipment failures and malfunctions. By implementing proactive maintenance schedules and leveraging predictive analytics, HTM can identify potential issues before they escalate into serious problems, minimising downtime and optimising equipment uptime.
Regulatory compliance and risk management
HTM is critical in ensuring regulatory requirements and industry standards compliance. Medical devices are subject to stringent regulations governing their design, manufacturing, and use to safeguard patient safety and data security. HTM teams are responsible for thoroughly understanding regulatory requirements and implementing robust quality management systems to ensure compliance throughout the technology lifecycle. This includes equipment calibration, performance testing, incident reporting, and ongoing staff training and education to promote safe and effective use of medical technologies.
In addition to regulatory compliance, HTM addresses the broader challenges of interoperability and information exchange within the healthcare ecosystem. As healthcare becomes increasingly decentralised and patient-centred, the need for seamless integration of disparate systems and data sources becomes paramount. HTM professionals work to standardise data formats, develop interoperability frameworks, and implement health information exchange (HIE) solutions to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration across care settings. By breaking down silos and enabling real-time access to patient information, HTM helps improve care coordination, reduce medical errors, and enhance overall quality of care.
Another key aspect of HTM is proactively managing technology risks and vulnerabilities. As healthcare systems become more interconnected and reliant on digital infrastructure, they become increasingly susceptible to cybersecurity threats and data breaches. HTM teams employ various strategies to safeguard against these risks, including network segmentation, encryption, intrusion detection, and vulnerability assessments. By staying abreast of emerging threats and implementing robust security controls, HTM helps protect sensitive patient data and ensure the integrity and availability of critical systems and services.
Continuous improvement
Lastly, HTM is vital in driving continuous improvement and innovation within healthcare organisations. By leveraging data analytics and performance metrics, HTM professionals can identify opportunities for process optimisation, workflow redesign, and technology-driven innovation. This might involve streamlining clinical workflows, integrating decision support tools, or implementing remote monitoring solutions to enhance patient care delivery. By fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, HTM helps healthcare organisations stay at the forefront of technological advancements and adapt to evolving patient needs and market dynamics.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Health Technology Management (HTM) is a critical function within healthcare organisations, encompassing a broad range of activities aimed at optimising the use of medical technologies to improve patient care, enhance operational efficiency, and drive innovation. By aligning technology investments with strategic objectives, ensuring regulatory compliance, addressing interoperability challenges, managing cybersecurity risks, and optimising technology performance, HTM helps healthcare organisations leverage the full potential of medical technologies to deliver high-quality, patient-centred care in an increasingly complex and dynamic healthcare landscape.
Resources
MedDev Central Academy:
MedDev Central Knowledge Hub:
- Health technology assessment of medical devices, WHO medical devices technical series, 2011
- Needs assessment for medical devices, WHO Medical device technical series, 2011
- Introduction to medical equipment inventory management, WHO Medical device technical series, 2011
- Procurement process resource guide, WHO Medical device technical series, 2011
- Medical equipment maintenance programme overview, WHO Medical device technical series, 2011
- Computerized maintenance management system, WHO Medical device technical series, 2012
- Decommissioning medical devices, WHO Medical Device Technical Series, 2012
- Medical device donations: considerations for solicitation and provision, WHO Medical Device Technical Series, 2011
Calibration: The process of adjusting and verifying the accuracy of the device’s measurements by comparing them to a known standard to ensure they produce reliable and accurate results.
Clinical workflow: The systematic sequence of processes and tasks that healthcare professionals follow when using medical devices to ensure efficient, safe, and effective patient care.
Compliance: Adherence to regulations, standards, and guidelines set forth by regulatory authorities.
Economic Evaluation: The evaluation and analysis of the costs and consequences of using a medical device or intervention, often comparing different options to inform decision-making. This may also be called an Economic Assessment.
Healthcare Provider: An individual or organisation licensed or otherwise authorised to deliver medical, nursing, dental, or other healthcare services to patients or clients.
Health System: The organised network of institutions, resources, and people that deliver healthcare services to meet the health needs of a specific population.
Health Technology: The application of organised knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures, and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of lives (WHO definition).
Health Technology Assessment (HTA): A systematic evaluation of the properties, effects, and impacts of health technology, such as medical interventions, pharmaceuticals or medical devices, to inform healthcare decision-making.
Health Technology Management (HTM): The systematic planning, procurement, implementation, and evaluation of medical technologies to ensure their safe, effective, and efficient use within healthcare settings.
Maintenance: Regular, planned actions taken to ensure that the devices remain in optimal working condition, including inspection, calibration, cleaning, and repair. Also see Preventative Maintenance and Corrective Maintenance.
Needs Assessment: A systematic process to identify and prioritise gaps or requirements in healthcare delivery that could be addressed through technological interventions.
Regulation: The rules, laws, standards, and requirements set by regulatory authorities to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of devices intended for medical use.
Risk Management (RM): The systematic application of management policies, procedures, and practices to the tasks of analysing, evaluating, controlling, and monitoring risk.
Safety: The condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury.
Stakeholder: Any individual or group with an interest or influence in the delivery, outcomes, or policies of healthcare services.