A proposed partnership for investigating device-related accidents.

The quality of a device-related, accident investigation is largely determined by the clinical and technical data available to the investigators. After an event, traditional legal conflicts have tended to prevent full information sharing between the manufacturer and the risk manager of the healthcare facility. We propose that, under the guidance of a risk manager, a healthcare clinical engineer partner with an engineer from the manufacturer and each partner provide maximum information and focused attention on the investigation. The synergy of the partnership should provide a more effective investigation and an increased patient safety in the healthcare delivery system.