Hosam Elsemany, an operating rooms equipment specialist III at Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Conn, has introduced what he calls “the first smartphone app that allows clinical engineering and biomedical engineering professionals worldwide to communicate, share ideas, and find peer support.”
Now available on the iTunes store for use on iPhones, the biomed app, called Biomed Connect, has three main sections: an equipment troubleshooting chat area, forums, and a career center.
In the chat area, Elsemany says, “users can post questions and get answers from other users.” Users registered in the area of specialty involved will be notified, and can view the question and participate in the discussion. Users can also attach photos.
The forums allow users to hold discussions in five general areas, including general engineering topics, Joint Commission topics, and career development. A career center enables employers to post jobs. Users can view and apply for the jobs within the app.
According to Elsemany, the inspiration for the app was inspired by his daily work experience: “Working in the OR and dealing with life-support equipment every day, I realized the need for HTM professionals to have a way to instantly communicate, ask questions, and get quick answers related to healthcare technology.”
Elsemany adds that this is just the first version of the app and that he is now working on new features to add with an upcoming update. An android version of the app will be available very soon, he says.
