Medical Devices in Healthcare: Where We Are and Where We Are Going

In this chapter, as conclusive thoughts, the editors of the book give an overview of the problems and opportunities of present healthcare systems. Healthcare is recognised as a very complex scenario, with several critical aspects that may be difficult to manage. There are also many opportunities for physicians, bioengineers and managers to improve the quality and value of care. Technology has obviously an important role in boosting these improvement chances. For this reason, a summary of the most promising innovations is given. The followed approach to address the complexity of the healthcare system is to adopt a holistic systems’ approach. The task to ask questions with focus on multidisciplinary methodology is taken by experienced contributing authors. A summary table guides the reader to these questions about topics like value, sustainability and innovation and answers provided in the appropriate chapters.