In the last forty years enormous strides have been made in the field of physiological measurement. In the early 1960's many techniques that are now considered to be reliable and cost effective were seen as potentially dangerous and expensive. For example, continuous blood pressure measurement was thought to require the direct attention of medical staff, it was expensive, difficult to set up and suffered from reliability problems. Today, this is a routine measurement that has greatly improved the clinical management of patients in many areas but particularly in intensive care and high dependency units, undertaken by nursing staff using disposable transducers which cost only a few pounds.
Physiological measurements are important both as diagnostic tools and for the clinical management of patients. The treatment of several disease processes has been greatly improved with the development of new monitoring methods. The development of Urodynamics as a technique to investigate bladder dysfunction in the 1970's is just one example of how a new area of expertise has been created resulting in the better treatment of patients with such disorders. In this instance the techniques used to undertake these measurements did not require the development of new technology; rather it was an adaptation of existing methodologies to a different environment. In other fields such as near infrared spectroscopy new instrumentation and mathematical models have been required. Both situations required the development of a completely new technology and close collaboration between the clinical scientist and the clinician. Without it such developments can be slow to progress and it is essential that advances in clinical understanding match advances in technology.
Chambers IR. Physiological measurement in the new millennium. Physics and Engineering in Medicine in the New Millennium, IPEM 2000, 32-34.
Dr. Iain R. Chambers, NGH Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne. Tel: +44 (0)191-233-6161.
Regional Medical Physics Department, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, UK.
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