Plug-and-play for medical devices: experiences from a case study.

Medical devices are pervasive throughout modern healthcare, but each device works on its own and in isolation. Interoperable medical devices would lead to clear benefits for the care provider and the patient, such as more accurate assessment of the patient’s health and safety interlocks that would enable error-resilient systems. The Center for Integration of Medicine & Innovative Technology (www.CIMIT.org) sponsors the Medical Device Plug-and-Play Interoperability program (www.MDPnP.org), which is leading the development and adoption of standards for medical device interoperability. Such interoperable medical devices will lead to increased patient safety and enable new treatment options, and the aim of this project is to show the benefits of interoperable and interconnected medical devices.