Medical engineering in Switzerland.

The clinical engineering or medical engineering departments in the hospitals in Switzerland are in a phase of rapid development. In particular, staffing, as well as official recognition by hospital management, needs improvement in many of the hospitals, as is also found in other countries. An overview is given of the current state of affairs in medical engineering in Switzerland, and of the amount of annual investment in medical equipment in the public hospitals. The activities of the Swiss Association of Hospital Engineers in this field are described. The main goals, responsibilities, and tasks of medical engineering departments are presented. The importance of the integration of the medical engineering operation in the management decision process is stressed.