Clinical technologists to be included in BIG register from now on

The amendment constitutes major recognition for the Bachelor programme in Clinical Technology and the Master programme in Technical Medicine, two degrees co-taught by Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University. Due to the amendment, graduates working as clinical technologists will be given a legally protected title with evidence of their qualifications and will be able to register with the BIG register.

Furthermore, the amendment will allow clinical technologists to independently perform certain medical procedures, such as catheter insertion, injections, biopsies, surgical procedures and procedures involving radioactivity or ionising radiation.

Clinical technologists have been allowed to independently perform procedures on an experimental basis since 2014. That experiment (conducted by researchers affiliated with Maastricht UMC+) showed that clinical technologists’ ability to perform procedures independently resulted in more efficient healthcare. Furthermore, patients were happy with the care they received from clinical technologists. Last month, the Senate voted in favour of the amendment, which means that clinical technologists will now be governed by the Individual Healthcare Professions Act.

The Dutch Association for Technical Medicine called the amendment a ‘major milestone and recognition of the need for clinical technologists on teams that provide health treatment’.