91655 - Clinical Engineering and Health Informatics

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows and applies concepts and technologies of engineering to the health service, in order to guarantee a high degree of safety and compliance of electromedical equipment, to manage the maintenance of such equipment and to support health facilities in planning the acquisition of new equipment.

In addition, the student has the theoretical tools and operational skills of engineering for the study, evaluation and optimization of health processes. In particular, the student is able to: - design and manage relational databases; - understand the flow of information in health facilities and manage health information systems; - understand the issues of security and confidentiality of data in healthcare; - evaluate and develop telemedicine systems.

Course contents

Medical devices. Definition, classification and certification process of medical devices.

The clinical engineer and the biomedical technician: activities and skills. The management and evaluation of technologies in health facilities also through HTA approaches. The acquisition and maintenance of equipment. Criteria for the sizing of a Health Service. Regulations to ensure the correct and safe use of biomedical technologies.

Health information systems. The feasibility study of a health information system.

ICD9-CM, SNOMED, LOINC, AIC classification systems and classification of health facilities.

Standard health languages: HL7 and DICOM. The IHE Initiative.

Electronic Medical Record. Health Dossier. Clinical Decision Support System.

Electronic health record (FSE). LIS (Laboratory Information System). Electronic Bracelet. Registry of the Operating Unit.

RIS (Radiology Information System), PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Sistem).

Health data networks (Transmission media, Topology, Extension, Active and passive elements, Types of network, wired and wireless networks). Ethernet. ISO-OSI.

The legislation on the treatment of health data: Legislative Decree GDPR.

Certified electronic mail (PEC) and digital signature.

Operational continuity, Backup, RAID, UPS and generators.

Telemedicine.

Health reporting systems.

Big data. Internet Of Things in healthcare.

Seminar lectures will be held on specific topics by experts in the field.

Readings/Bibliography

Handouts and materials provided by the teacher.

Manuale di ingegneria biomedicale, Armando Ferraioli, Edizioni: Dario Flaccovio (ISBN 9788857912288)

INFORMATICA MEDICA, Alberto Rosotti, Edizioni McGraw-Hill (ISBN: 9788838674846)

Books for further information (optional):

- Enrico Coiera, Guida all'informatica medica, Internet e telemedicina, Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore, Anno 1999, ISBN 978-88-7002-922-2.

- Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Reti di calcolatori, Anno 2003, EAN: 9788871921822

Any other complementary books and material for further insights will be indicated by the teacher during the lessons.

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures in which portable diagnostic systems will be shown to the students.

During the course, several visits to hospital labs, radiology and clinical engineering departments are also included.

Assessment methods

During the course anonymous questionnaires will be administered through web applications to monitor the level of comprehension of the contents in real time and eventually carry out remodulations.

The final exam consists in written and oral tests at the end of the course, aimed at the evaluation of the technical knowledge of the course contents. Students who do not pass it, they cannot take the oral exam.

The student's ability to illustrate the contents covered during the course, also performing comparative evaluations between the different methodologies will be evaluated as well as the capability to solve problems related to health technology assessment.

Language skills, clarity of presentation, level of detail will be an integral part of the evaluation.

Teaching tools

Overhead projector, notebook

Office hours

See the website of Cristiana Corsi

See the website of Alberto Rosotti