Today, as in the past, in typical practice the engineering foundation gives the clinical
engineer analytical tools to solve problems from the perspective of an “outsider,” while the specialized knowledge makes the clinical engineer a member of the health care team.
For example, the engineering education tells the clinical engineer that an intensive care room is properly sized to hold the patient, equipment, and personnel. Human factors training might reveal that the room does not give adequate space for the staff to work in an emergency.