








































17 J Global Clinical Engineering Issue 2:17-21; 2019

Received March 13, 2019, accepted March 26, 2019, date of publication March 30, 2019

Identification of Health Technology Management 
departments in Mexico’s State Health Services

By R. Ayala, E. Orencio

CENETEC-Salud, México

ABSTRACT

Due to a lack of verifiable, reliable, and up-to-date official information, the National Center for Health Technology 
Excellence (CENETEC) carried out a survey of information to identify the organizational areas in charge of the veri-
fication and the development of Health Technology Management (HTM) that the State Health Services in Mexico 
are obliged to perform within each of the 32 States. It was determined that not all States had a department with a 
specific designation for HTM. Also, it seems the vast majority of existing areas are led by a biomedical engineering 
professional who responds to infrastructure planning area directives. These findings seek to promote a discussion 
on the need to standardize this type of service from State Health Services across the country.  

Keywords – biomedical engineering, health technology management, public health services. 

INTRODUCTION
The Mexican health system is composed of public and 

private sectors. The public sector includes social security 
institutions such as Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social 
(IMSS), Institute of Security and Social Services of State 
Workers (ISSSTE), the health services of federal agencies 
Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), the Secretary of National 
Defense (SEDENA), and the Secretary of Navy (SEMAR). 
On the other hand, there are health services for people 
who are not insured by any of the institutions previously 
mentioned. These people are cared for by health organiza-
tions under the control of the Federal Health Ministry and 
the 32 State Health Services. This is done with financial 

support from the Health Social Protection System known 
as Seguro Popular.1

Any organization that offers health services must 
carry out health technology management (HTM) which 
is defined as the “set of systematic procedures to provide 
and evaluate the appropriate, safe, effective, and cost-
effective technology in health care establishments, with 
the aim of ensuring the care and good use of the medical 
equipment by verifying its functionality, security, and 
availability to ensure effective access to health services.”2 
These processes fall into various operational, medical, or 
administrative departments but Biomedical Engineering 



Ayala, Orencio: Identification of Health Technology Management departments in Mexico’s State Health Services

J Global Clinical Engineering Issue 2:17-21; 2019  18

(BME) services are considered to be the most appropriate 
for coordinating these tasks.

In Mexico, there is no formal or updated census of BME 
departments in hospitals. According to the Information 
Base of Health Establishments (CLUES3, a government 
information system), there is a register of 85 BME de-
partments in hospitals from the State Health Ministries 
which represents only 12% of total coverage. Given this 
circumstance, the strategy has been to encourage the 
creation of central areas in the offices of each State to 
meet the needs of the HTM for all hospitals under its ju-
risprudence. However, there has been no formal register 
for those either.

Therefore, in 2018, the National Center for Health 
Technology Excellence (CENETEC), a Ministry of Health 
agency, through its BME department, undertook the task 
of running a situational diagnosis of the areas responsible 
for HTM in the 32 State Health Services. The goal was to 
identify the existing areas of opportunity related to the 
execution of the processes and the corresponding activi-
ties of the personnel in charge.

As this was the first time that an exercise of this na-
ture had been carried out at the State Health Services, it 
was important to be able to have updated data to make 
an analysis of the situation and determine which areas 
were the responsibility of the HTMs. This would allow 
the further development of strategies to improve these 
processes in an efficient and responsible way. 

METHODS
A questionnaire was prepared to identify the existence 

of areas or departments where HTM processes are involved 
in the State Health Services, their position within the 
organizational structure, as well as the human resources 
and materials they have available to them to carry out 
their tasks. The general items requested were as follows:
1. The State they are located
2. The data from their BME Department 
3. The information regarding the person in charge of 

their BME Department 
4. The area of the HTM processes they are part of

5. The infrastructure they have available to carry out 
their HTM processes
The questionnaire was given to personnel identified 

as possibly responsible for one or more HTM processes 
within the 32 State Health Services and the following 
relevant data obtained is outlined below.

The answers revealed:
• The organizational structure of the areas responsible 

for HTM.
• The name designation for each area responsible for 

HTM by State.
• The number of areas falling under the term “Bio-

medical Engineering.” 
• The profession of the person identified as being 

responsible for HTM and their duties.
• The identification of the areas that carry out HTM 

processes. 

RESULTS

Organizational Structure
The 32 States responded with the information requested 

and it was possible to carry out the analysis to obtain the 
following results outlined below.

Twenty-four State Health Services (SESA) had an area 
using the term BME or something similar. In 8 SESAs an 
area with a similar designation could not be identified 
(Figure 1).

FIGURE 1. States with a department or area responsible for 
Health Technology Management.



19 J Global Clinical Engineering Issue 2:17-21; 2019

Ayala, Orencio: Identification of Health Technology Management departments in Mexico’s State Health Services

It was found that 20 different groups or departments 
had incorporated variations of the title “Biomedical 
Engineering.” These included Director of Biomedical 
Engineering, Deputy Director of Biomedical Engineering, 
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Engi-
neering Coordination, Biomedical Services Coordination, 
and Biomedical Area. Other similar names used were 
Department of Technological Support to Hospitals, Depart-
ment of Electromechanics, Department of Maintenance 
to Medical and Electromechanical Equipment, Depart-
ment of Recovery of Medical Equipment, Department of 
Maintenance to Medical and Electromechanical Equip-
ment, and Technology and Supplies Coordination. These 
designations suggest these people/departments have one 
or more HTM processes as part of their responsibilities. 

Ten of these departments were found within a formal 
organizational structure while 14 were not, and as shown 
in Figure 1, 8 did not have an area responsible for HTM. 
Figure 2 shows the States where the areas responsible for 
the HTM in the formal organizational structure existed 
within the State Health Services.

Data regarding which area (administrative, medical 
or planning) provided direction to the HTM are outlined 
below.

In 12 States, the HTM area depended on direction from 
a planning or infrastructure group; 6 States depended on 
direction from a medical department; 4 States depended on 

direction from an administrative branch; and 2 States have 
2 HTMs being directed by 2 different groups (Figure 3).

Human Resources
The results shown in the graphs below include data 

from States that have the area responsible for HTM. Graph 
1 shows the professions of those responsible for the areas 
reported. Please note the prevalence of the BME profession.

Graph 2 illustrates the type of job contract held by the 
person responsible for HTM. “Trust Staff” are those who 
have a formal contract, “Base Staff” are those who have 
a permanent contract, and “Eventual Staff” are those 
who have a short-period contract that may or may not 
be renewable.

Graph 3 presents the monthly salary for those respon-
sible for HTM according to the level of position where the 
prevalence is higher than $20.000 Mexican pesos.

FIGURE 2. State Health Services that have an area that is re-
sponsible for HTM within their formal structure.

FIGURE 3. Health Technology Departments line of command.

GRAPH 1. Profession of those responsible for Health Technol-
ogy Management in State Health Services.



Ayala, Orencio: Identification of Health Technology Management departments in Mexico’s State Health Services

J Global Clinical Engineering Issue 2:17-21; 2019  20

HTM Processes Attended

Graph 4 outlines the prevelence of tasks involving the 
the HTM processes and the execution of these processes 
and which areas in State Health Services carry them out. 
In 17 States the BME-related areas were the groups who 
executed most of the HTM processes, while in 10 other 
States this work was carried out by administrative areas.

CONCLUSION
In accordance with the results obtained it can be 

observed that even when 24 of 32 States have an area 
related to BME to carry out HTM functions, only 42% are 
positioned within the formal structure of the SESA and 
also their department name is often not consistent with 
other similar groups which can cause confusion.

Taking into consideration the reported areas, 57% 
have a professionally educated BME as the person in 
charge. This indicates that this profession should be at 
the forefront for coordination of the HTM processes. In 
the same way, according to the data provided, (53% of the 
cases), there is a high likelihood that the BME area has 
been designated as the group that should be responsible 
for carrying out the HTM processes. This was followed 
by the administrative area that had been designated in 
31% of cases. 

It could be said that the numbers are promising, but 
challenges still exist towards achieving effective coordi-
nation of the HTM processes in the public health sector.

The next step could be an analysis of the efficiency 
and effectiveness in the HTM processes when they are 
carried out by the specific areas chosen. Meanwhile, the 
material presented in this paper will allow a focused effort 
to continue formulating strategies associated with HTM 
that can promote safe, quality, efficient, and cost-effective 
access to health services.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
The authors wish to thank the personnel in the 32 

SESA that kindly responded to the questionnaire and to 
the personnel in the BME area at CENETEC for their input 
and support. Thanks also to Sonia Tena for providing help 
in graphics design.

REFERENCES

1. Gómez-Dantés O, Sesma S, Becerril VM, Knaul FM, 
Arreola H, Frenk J. Sistema Health System in Mexico. 
Public Health Mex 2011;53 supl 2:S220-S232. Available 
at: http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_ar
ttext&pid=S0036-36342011000800017 

GRAPH 2. The type of job contract held by the person respon-
sible for Health Technology Management. 

GRAPH 3. Salary level of the person responsible for Health 
Technology Management in State Health Services.

GRAPH 4. Prevalence in the execution of the Health Technology 
Management process in State Health Services.



21 J Global Clinical Engineering Issue 2:17-21; 2019

Ayala, Orencio: Identification of Health Technology Management departments in Mexico’s State Health Services

2. National Center for Health Technology Excellence. 
Medical Equipment Management Glossary. México: 
CENETEC; 2016;107 first edition. Available at: http://
www.cenetec.salud.gob.mx/descargas/equipoMedico/
IB_Publicacion_Glosario_8_27Jun16.pdf 

3. General Directorate of Health Information; Classifica-
tion CLUES. Available at: http://www.dgis.salud.gob.
mx/contenidos/intercambio/clues_gobmx.html 


