Understanding the relationships between clinical and non-clinical caregivers in the hospital environment of care is vital to determining best practices that improve patient outcomes. The purpose of this study is to understand the relationships among biomedical engineering technicians (BMETs) and clinical caregivers in order to promote hospital quality through the reduction of hospital acquired infections associated with medical equipment. The BMET health support occupation is under-represented in research despite evidence that validates their indirect impact on patient outcomes through their medical equipment duties. Results from the Biomedical Engineering Interdepartmental survey determined the effects of structural complexity and process adequacy in Clinical Engineering using structural equation analysis under the theoretical framework of Donabedian's Structure-Process-Outcome model. Statistical analysis leads to recommendations that hospital environments that create a coordinated organizational culture of interdepartmental device management through communication, collaboration, teamwork, and knowledge management can promote quality and therefore, reduce adverse events.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) expanded rural Medicaid and Medicare coverage. However, factors that contribute to productivity growth in hospital-based rural health clinics are less known. This book makes a contribution by investigating the impact of organizational factors on productivity growth, while recognizing that contextual factors also affect productivity growth rates. For the years 2005 to 2008, hospital-based rural health clinics in the US showed significant growth in productivity. Prospective payment system was negatively related with productivity growth rates. Newer facilities had higher productivity. Facilities in proximity to urban areas had higher productivity. Physician availability was positively related to productivity. Therefore, specific provisions of PPACA to attract and retain physicians to rural areas and expand rural health coverage need to be implemented. This book would benefit policy makers, practitioners and researchers engaged in rural health services.