Making the Most of Service Manuals

Abstract

Some were outdated, some were missing, and some never arrived. So he took matters into his own hands. Poulsen posted a message on the Biomedtalk listerv asking colleagues nationwide to help him compile a list of service manuals available online. With the information he’s collecting, he intends to create a website that links directly to manuals on manufacturers’ websites. The site is expected to launch later this year, providing one more resource for medical technology professionals in search of up-to-date information on the devices they service. Service manuals are a popular topic among biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) and clinical engineers (CEs), and their concerns run the gamut—including availability, price, and quality. Often the most high-tech equipment comes with one printed manual that can quickly be lost or become outdated with software or other upgrades. Second-hand or donated equipment often comes without the original manuals, which may be unavailable if the manufacturer no longer supports the device. Poulsen, a senior biomedical technician with Biomedical Technologies in New Jersey, is not alone in his concerns about service manuals. In the last two years, nearly 500 messages have been posted on the listserv about these critical documents. “Service manuals are our life-blood. They are one of the core documents with any device or system,” says Andrew Currie, director of clinical engineering services at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. “If you can’t get access to the technical documents, this sometimes introduces an insurmountable hurdle in the effort to do cost-effective work and may reduce the overall in-house department value.” Making the Most of Service Manuals