The role(s) of the industry employed allied professional.

March 2001 PACE, Vol. 24 Introduction Industry employed allied professionals (IEAPs) have traditionally played an important role providing technical assistance to physicians and their clinically employed allied professionals (CEAPs) during pacemaker/ICD implantation, programming, troubleshooting, and follow-up. The IEAPs include directly employed or contracted manufacturer representatives, field clinical engineers, and industry employed technical specialists. Given the increased complexity of technology, the rapidly expanding number of patients being treated with implantable cardiac arrhythmia management devices, and accelerated pace of advancements in these devices, the IEAPs have become even more valuable to clinicians and their patients. Increased utilization of the IEAPs have raised questions regarding what is an appropriate or inappropriate activity for the IEAPs in regard to medical, legal, and economic issues. In the interest of continuing to deliver high quality medical care to patients with implantable cardiac rhythm devices, the Ad Hoc NASPE/Industry Task Force* was assembled by the president of the NASPE Board of Trustees to address the role(s) of IEAPs in the clinical environment. Members of the task force included NASPE physicians, members of NASPE/CAP, and representatives from industry. The task force had initial discussions addressing the current role(s) of IEAPs in the clinical environment, identifying areas where the role of the IEAP was clinically appropriate, questionable, or inappropriate. The committee sought input from U.S. and Canadian implanting physicians, pacemaker /ICD clinic nurses, industry field representatives, their supervisors, and legal counsel. The committee noted that a few clinicians and industry leaders had requested that NASPE address these concerns. After reviewing the extent and variety of interactions the industry representatives have been asked to participate in, there was consensus by this ad hoc task force that the boundaries of what constitute appropriate activities for IEAPs required a clearer definition. Lack of guidelines regarding this issue has led to rising concerns regarding medical, legal, reimbursement, economic, and ethical issues. The task force concurred that further clarification of the IEAP’s role would be beneficial. The ad hoc committee recognizes that the continued support by IEAPs is important and that their participation improves the quality and efficiency of cardiac arrhythmia management device care. It was also recognized that most physicians and their allied professionals (CEAPs) cannot be completely familiar with every aspect of each manufacturer’s products. Therefore, this task force developed the following position statement to clarify the role IEAPs should play in the clinical environment. The objective of these position statements are to maintain and improve high quality and cost-effective care to patients with implanted cardiac rhythm devices, while further defining appropriate roles for IEAPs.