A importância da engenharia clínica dentro de um hospital

: desafios e oportunidades da sua implementação

Abstract

This thesis aims to address the importance of clinical engineering (CE) in a hospital, exposing the case study of the Centro Hospitalar Baixo Vouga E.P.E. (CHBV), in Aveiro, which is supported by the curricular internship conducted in the company HWMed, in Porto. In this thesis, it is demonstrated which factors, throughout history, have driven the existence and evolution of the CE up to the present day. This paper will cover the functions of this area, the challenges it faces and the benefits it offers to a healthcare facility. The differences in models of action are also addressed, presenting a comparison between the Japanese, Chinese, American and European models. The CE´s responsibility is to maintain medical equipment and ensure it complies with national and international standards and is safe to be used in patient care. Additionally, it operates in areas such as contract management performs, promotes optimization and cost reduction, and performs both preventive and corrective maintenance. Finally, a clinical engineer is present from the acquisition of medical equipment to its decommissioning. However, the lack of awareness of its importance and even the lack of hospital resources are some challenges that the CE faces in its implementation. The case study of the CHBV is presented as a concrete example of CE successfully implemented in a hospital environment. Procedures and processes for the management of medical equipment, preventive and corrective maintenance, calibration, risk evaluation and inventory management, among other things, were developed thanks to the assistance of HWMed, a company that specializes in CE and consulting. In summary, this thesis serves as support and training in the scope of CE, demonstrating this domain as synonymous with continuous improvement, and showing clear results in how its implementation in a hospital environment promotes quality of care and patient safety.

Date of Award	24 Nov 2023
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Pedro de Britto Moreira Neto (Supervisor) & Luís Filipe Ferreira da Cruz Matos (Co-Supervisor)