The EE and health care policy: A call to action: Lack of engineering involvement has led to government policies that have cast the profession in a poor light. The time is ripe for concerted action

There was a time when engineers could be proud of their technical ingenuity and not be concerned about defending their inventions. Wrapped in their research, they could feel immune to political effects. That time is no more. Today, every move the engineer makes has social, historical, ethical, and political ramifications. This impact is being particularly felt in the area of health care where engineers are blamed as much as they are praised for the consequences of the technology they have created. The time has come for reaction from the engineering community — not defensive reaction, but concerted, decisive action.