News: ABSPIE recent initiatives
Warwick co-organised the ABEC Medical Device Design School in Uganda
As part of the GCRF project titled “Harmonization of medical devices regulation among Sub-Saharan African Regions and Europe”, Dr Leandro Pecchia supported the organization of the 8th ABEC (African Biomedical Engineering Consortium) Design School, which was held at Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI), Kampala, Uganda from 7th to 11th October 2019. The School was co-organized in collaboration with the UNECA (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa), the University of Pisa, University of Columbia, UIRI, Makerere University, Kenyatta University and the University of Warwick.
Davide Piaggio and Mahir Taher, respectively a PhD and a BSc student from the ABSPIE (Applied Biomedical Signal Processing Intelligent eHealth) Lab represented the University of Warwick.
The aim of the school was to build on multidisciplinary knowledge, combining engineering and medicine paradigms, to design prototypes of medical devices, tackling global challenges associated with surgical practice, obstetrics and anesthesia with an emphasis on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
The project, presented by Mahir Taher under the supervision of Davide Piaggio and Leandro Pecchia, regards a phototherapy vest for the treatment of jaundice in newborns in LMICs. The project was shortlisted along with other 39 to take part to the design school. Davide Piaggio was also accepted as one of the mentors working and was require to support the students with his expertise. Leveraging on this opportunity, he has also run a field study in 3 Uganda hospitals in collaboration with Licia Di Pietro, a PhD student from the University of Pisa, performing electric safety measures on medical devices.
Warwick School of Engineer at the World Congress of Clinical Engineering
The third edition of the III International Clinical Engineering and Health Technology Management Conference (#ICEHTMC2019, http://www.icehtmc2019.com/ ) was held last week in Rome, from the 20th to the 22nd of October 2019. This a relatively young event (i.e., third edition), but certainly a great success with more than 750 delegates from all the Continents focusing on UN Global Sustainable Goals related to health and healthcare technologies.
We had the opportunity to demonstrate the great work we are doing on the design, regulation, assessment and management of Medical Devices for EU and Global Health.
This was a great opportunity to meet a significant number of colleagues and former students, who again confirmed their appreciation, respect, esteem and friendship for the work we do.
Our School contributed to the success of the ICEHTMC2019 in many ways. Dr Leandro Pecchia was one of the co-chairs of the conference, with Adriana Velazquez Berumen (WHO) and the Officers of the Italian Society of Clinical Engineering.
Our PhD students were awarded the student best paper award (Davide Piaggio) and two Health Technology Challenges (Martina Andellini and Davide Piaggio). Kallirroi Stavrianou, our PDRA, was awarded the IFMBE CED appreciation award for her outstanding international contribution. Then Alessia Maccaro (Marie Curie Fellow in the Applied Biomedical Signal Processing and Intelligence eHealth Lab) presented her project and the work done so far on ethical issues arising from poor EU medical device norms' universality, Busola Oronti (PhD stud) her project on the application of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) in Africa, Mihaela Porumb (PhD Studs) her work on deep learning and hypoglycemia detection via ECG, Rossana Castaldo (PDRA) the work done with Leandro on circadian-cycles tracking via ECG and deep learning (EPSRC founded Cyclops project).
In addition, Dr Leandro Pecchia was invited to give a keynote on HTA and Medical Device, to present his work on Clinical Engineering in low-income countries and to participate in a round table (i.e., education of Clinical Engineering in Europe). Moreover, in collaboration with the IUPESM Woman Engineers and Physicists for health, Dr Pecchia organised and Chaired a special session focusing on the need for more collation among Biomedical Engineers, Clinical Engineers and medical physicists, which was particularly well attended also because of the participation of the Ministry of Research of Montenegro (Dr Sanja Damjanovic, Medical Physicist), WHO Senior Advisor for Medical Devices (Adriana Velasquez, Clinical Engineer) and Magdalena Stoeva (IUPESM Treasurer, Biomedical Engineer).
Probably this was not strictly needed, but certainly this event helped in further promoting the great work that Warwick is doing in the field of Global Health and Clinical Engineering!
Warwick Attendees at the ICEHTMC2019 in the photo (from left): Busola Oronti, PhD stud, Davide Piaggio, PhD stud, Alessia Maccaro, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, Rossana Castaldo (PDRA), Leandro Pecchia (Associate Prof), Silvio Pagliara (PDRA), Kallirroi Stavrianou (PDRA), Mihaela Porumb (PhD stud), Andellini Martina (PhD stud).
Global Survey on the requirements to work as Clinical Engineer in hospital
This study aims at understanding the essential criteria needed to work as clinical/biomedical engineer in health facilities.
This study has been reviewed and given approval by the University of Warwick’s Biomedical and Scientific Research Ethics Committee (Ethical approval number REGO-2018-2283-AM01). Read the respondent leaflet here.
Background: in order to ensure an equal level of safety and effectiveness for European patients, the European Parliament has published new regulations aiming at ruling the free circulation of medical devices among European countries. However, several other important aspects relevant for patient safety are not regulated. This is the case of minimum requirements to work as clinical engineers in European public hospitals or local Trusts. This survey is part of a wider study aiming at analyzing different requirements to work as a clinical engineer in different European countries.
Our Lab Director, Dr Leandro Pecchia, Elected President of the European Alliance of Medical and Biological Engineering and Science (EAMBES)
EAMBES is the European scientific society of BME, representing 24 national and 5 transnational scientific societies, as well as 26 academic and research institutions. Through its member organisations, EAMBES represents approximately 8000 European experts in the domain of Medical and Biological Engineering and Science (MBES). In the past years, EAMBES has been the most proactive BME organization working with European Institutions on any relevant initiative focusing on medical devices and research on healthcare technology. In 2016, EAMBES has facilitate the creation of the first European Parliament Interest Group on BME, with contribution of Dr Pecchia, which has been Chairing the EAMBES Public Affair Working Group since 2014.
As Elected President (2019-2021), Leandro will keep focusing on EAMBES relations with European Institutions and WHO. In 2021, he will be called to serve the Society as President (2021-2023) and then as Past President for 2 years.
Warwick Engineering Impact: helping Greece and WHO in setting the Hellenic Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Agency, paying the due attention to medical devices
It was not long time ago, when (biomedical) engineers were very little involved in any HTA. Warwick Engineering has played a key role in supporting change in this area, achieving significant impact in relatively little time. Since 2015, when Dr Leandro Pecchia was elected as Chair of the IFMBE HTA Division, all the Biomedical Engineering Conferences have been giving growing space to HTA papers, round tables and keynotes. As result, the majority of BME degrees in Europe, USA and Asia are starting introducing HTA as core topic for BME. As result, only 4 years later, WHO is systematically considering BMEs among the international experts to support their action in different Countries, and often Warwick BMEs. Last weekend, Dr Pecchia has been in Greece, on WHO invitation, to deliver an intensive training on HTA and to review and provide feedback on recently proposed Greek regulation on HTA, before this will be enforced in the next few months. The training was addressed to 20 Officers from the Greek Ministry of Health, and was followed by a workshop aiming at discussing the draft regulation and prepare formal recommendation, basing also on the recent publication* leaded by Warwick on HTA of medical devices.
From left to right:
- Dr Oriana Ciani, Bocconi University
- Prof Nicolas Pallikarakis, INBIT (Greek National Institute for Biomedical Technologies)
- Dr Leandro Pecchia, University of Warwick
* Polisena, J., Castaldo, R., Ciani, O., Federici, C., Borsci, S., Ritrovato, M., ... & Pecchia, L. (2018). Health technology assessment methods guidelines for medical devices: how can we address the gaps? The International Federation of Medical and Biological Engineering perspective. International journal of technology assessment in health care, 34(3), 276-289.