SUMMARY This brief discussion of the methodology and tools of systems engineering is intended to bring to the attention of the medical profession the desirability of looking at their problems from a systems point of view in order to permit advanced technology to be brought to bear on their solution. By utilizing the resources and capabilities of the engineering profession, the physician will be permitted greater availability for the care of his patients and his care will be more efficiently and effectively applied. If the physician is able to develop the systems engineer's ability to look outward to all parts of a system, rather than inward at only one particular subsystem, he will be better able to define his technical needs and requirements for the systems engineer, and the systems engineer will be better able to assist in the solution of his problems.