Human beings have used tools in their medical care from the beginning. Like people,
those tools have evolved over the ages. The sharpened stones have become complex instrumentation- and technology-based clinical systems of care. As medical “tools” became more sophisticated, the technologies that they employed grew apart from the core competencies of the users. Today, medical technology is rooted in science, designed using engineering, and applied interactively in a demanding environment. Furthermore, clinical systems go beyond the technology to include policies, procedures, and protocol that ensure safety, security, and privacy as well as efficacy. This is the realm of clinical engineering.