Biomedical Equipment Technicians Research Articles

Effect of deploying biomedical equipment technician on the functionality of medical equipment in the government hospitals of rural Nepal

BackgroundMedical equipment plays a crucial role in the provision of quality healthcare services, despite this more than 50% of equipment in developing countries are non-functioning due to a lack of appropriate human resources to maintain. To address this problem some government hospitals of Nepal have deployed a mid-level technical cadre called 'Biomedical Equipment Technician' (BMET). This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of deploying a BMET on the functionality of medical equipment in government hospitals of rural Nepal.MethodsWe used a mixed-methods approach with a comparative research design. A comprehensive range of 2189 pieces of medical equipment at 22 hospitals with and without BMET were observed to assess their functional status. Medical equipment were stratified into 6 categories based on department and T tests were conducted. We collected qualitative data from 9 BMETs, 22 medical superintendents, and 22 health staff using semi-structured interviews and focus-group discussions. Thematic content analysis was conducted to explore how the BMET's work was perceived.FindingsThe quantity of non-functional devices in hospitals without BMETs was double that of hospitals with BMETs (14% and 7% respectively, p < 0.005). Results were similar across all departments including General (16% versus 3%, p = 0.056), Lab (15% versus 7%, p < 0.005) and Operation Theater (14% versus 5%, p < 0.005). Hospitals with BMETs had fewer overall non-functional devices requiring simple or advanced repair compared to hospitals without BMETs [3% versus 7% (p < 0.005) simple; 4% versus 6% (p < 0.005) advanced]. In our qualitative analysis, we found that BMETs were highly appreciated by hospital staff. Hospital workers perceived that having a BMET on staff, rather than twice-yearly visits from central-level maintenance technicians, is an effective way to keep medical equipment functional. However, without a favorable working environment, the BMET alone cannot perform optimally.ConclusionsHaving a BMET at a rural government hospital has a substantial positive effect on the functional status of medical devices at the hospital. BMETs should be deployed at all rural hospitals to increase the functionality of medical devices, thereby improving the working environment and quality of health services provided.

Biomedical Equipment Technician Apprenticeship Program Earns Valuable College and Industry Support

Journal of Clinical Engineering: 1/3 2022 - Volume 47 - Issue 1 - p 15-16 doi: 10.1097/JCE.0000000000000497

Time-Motion Study to Evaluate the Impact of Purchasing within Clinical Engineering

Biomedical equipment technicians and clinical engineers order medical device parts in most hospitals because of the technical nature, knowledge, and expertise associated with medical equipment. But biomedical equipment technicians/clinical engineers can sometimes fail to source high-quality parts at the lowest prices, fill out work orders properly, or follow up when parts are not delivered on time. Moreover, the hours they spend on parts ordering could be better utilized on repairs to increase the uptime of critical equipment. Solutions include hiring specialized buyers within clinical engineering departments or contracting with an online marketplace to simplify the ordering process.

Biomedical Equipment Technician Apprenticeship Program Greenlit by US Department of Labor

Biomedical Equipment Technician Apprenticeship Program Greenlit by US Department of Labor

US Food and Drug Administration Seeks Input From Healthcare Technology Management Community on Medical Device Supply Disruption During COVID-19 Pandemic.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently seeking information from the clinical community about existing and anticipated disruptions in the supply of medical devices related to COVID-19. This information is important to FDA's fulfillment of its mission to ensure that healthcare providers and patients have continued access to safe and effective medical products. Insights from the clinical community, including clinical engineers and biomedical equipment technicians, bring device supply issues experienced on the front lines to FDA's attention so that the FDA can develop effective strategies to prevent and mitigate medical device supply concerns in its continued response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Here, we describe the public health impact of the clinical perspective and the type of information that the FDA is seeking regarding current or anticipated medical device supply concerns. Information about how to have your voice heard on this important matter is included at the end of this article.

Bright Ideas: Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in HTM: The Global Internship Program at TSP-UVM.

For nearly 30 years, their internship program has provided critical work experience to biomedical engineering and technology students in the United States The plan was to expand the internship program's reach to HTM students outside the U S “TSP's international expansion started in the early 2000s when we received a grant from the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO's) foundation to develop bilingual biomedical equipment technician (BMET) and HTM online courses,” said Tobey Clark, engineering supervisor at TSP-UVM and codirector of the WHO Collaborating Center for HTM [ ]certain knowledge gained by Pinzon is directly applicable to situations he's encountered in Colombia

Availability, procurement, training, usage, maintenance and complications of electrosurgical units and laparoscopic equipment in 12 African countries.

BackgroundStrategies are needed to increase the availability of surgical equipment in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). This study was undertaken to explore the current availability, procurement, training, usage, maintenance and complications encountered during use of electrosurgical units (ESUs) and laparoscopic equipment.MethodsA survey was conducted among surgeons attending the annual meeting of the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) in December 2017 and the annual meeting of the Surgical Society of Kenya (SSK) in March 2018. Biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) were surveyed and maintenance records collected in Kenya between February and March 2018.ResultsAmong 80 participants, there were 59 surgeons from 12 African countries and 21 BMETs from Kenya. Thirty‐six maintenance records were collected. ESUs were available for all COSECSA and SSK surgeons, but only 49 per cent (29 of 59) had access to working laparoscopic equipment. Reuse of disposable ESU accessories and difficulties obtaining carbon dioxide were identified. More than three‐quarters of surgeons (79 per cent) indicated that maintenance of ESUs was available, but only 59 per cent (16 of 27) confirmed maintenance of laparoscopic equipment at their centre.ConclusionDespite the availability of surgical equipment, significant gaps in access to maintenance were apparent in these LMICs, limiting implementation of open and laparoscopic surgery.

Unexpected categories at risk of S. aureus nasal carriage among hospital workers.

Thirty percent of the general population are Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriers. It has been shown that this increases with repeated contact with patients, but it is not known whether all categories of healthcare workers are at equal risk of carriage. We aimed to explore S. aureus nasal carriage among healthcare professionals. Prospective study conducted in two French university hospitals in 2014 and 2016. Volunteers were screened for S. aureus nasal carriage. Profession and hygiene habits were collected. Based on the results of this initial study, a second study focused on semi-skilled workers and biomedical equipment technicians (BETs) only; participants were given education on the basic rules of hygiene, then re-screened three months later. In the initial study, 38.8% of the 436 participants were detected as nasal carriers. There was a significant difference in nasal carriage according to professional category (p < 0.0001); the lowest was found among administrative agents (17.3%), followed by healthcare providers (37.4%), laboratory technicians (37.6%). The greatest proportion was found among semi-skilled workers and BETs (52.9%). Spa-typing ruled out the hypothesis of a single clone dissemination among colleagues. After the three-month hygiene awareness campaign, all re-screened individuals remained positive, and with their respective initial strain. To the best of our knowledge we report here for the first time that semi-skilled workers and BETs are specifically more at risk of S. aureus nasal colonisation. This striking finding urges hospital hygiene departments to evaluate this specific professional category and implement strategies to improve hygiene awareness.

Barriers to availability of surgical equipment in Kenya

Background &amp; Objective:The need for surgery is currently not met in Sub-Saharan Africa, requiring both extra workforce and surgical equipment. Currently, there is a gap in the availability of surgical equipment which, among others, limits the provision of safe surgery. To design strategies to increase availability, the use of surgical equipment in this context needs to be understood. This study aims to: 1) identify the different phases surgical equipment goes through during its lifespan (i.e. the surgical equipment journey) in Kenya, and to 2) identify barriers that are perceived by biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs).&#x0D; &#x0D; Material &amp; Methods:Seven semi-structured in-depth interview sessions were conducted with a total of 17 BMETs working in Kenya. Participants worked in six different hospitals (four public, one private and one mission). Interviews were conducted between December 2016 and December 2018. Participants were asked to describe or draw the surgical equipment journey and describe the perceived barriers during this journey.&#x0D; Results:The surgical equipment journey consists of three phases: procurement, usage, and disposal. Stakeholders involved in the surgical equipment journey are users, BMETs, procurement officers, local distributors and in case of donations, donation agencies. Bureaucracy during procurement, difficulties to obtain consumables and spare parts (especially for donated equipment), cleaning with heavy chemicals, and usage in challenging environments were identified as barriers during the surgical equipment journey.&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusion:Sustainable interventions at multiple organisational levels are required to optimize the surgical equipment journey in hospitals in Kenya. Different strategies that can be applied in parallel to increase availability of surgical equipment in Kenya were identified by the participants in this study: policies on donations, procurement of durable equipment, more well-trained BMETs and university-trained biomedical engineers, and designs and business models that fit the local use in Kenya and presumably other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Standardizing and validating medical simulation equipment procurement across the Air Force Medical Service

The Air Force Medical Modeling and Simulation Training Program Management Office identified an opportunity to more effectively utilize Air Force funds. The developed process reduces unnecessary purchases and streamlines the procurement and validation of medical simulation training equipment. The two-phase initiative included development of the Simulation Procurement Equipment Requirements Matrix (SimPERM), which compared equipment capabilities with training objectives, and aligning the SimPERM document with the existing equipment tracking mechanism, The Integrated Global Equipment Request System. Post procurement communication with the Biomedical Equipment Technician community was vital to successfully reduce extended warranties. This procurement initiative has enhanced allocation of US$1.1 million in Air Force resources per year by transitioning previous poorly planned purchases to validated Air Force education and training requirements.

Congratulations to the following new Certified Biomedical Equipment Technicians, Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialists, and Certified Radiology Equipment Specialists.

Congratulations to the following new Certified Biomedical Equipment Technicians, Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialists, and Certified Radiology Equipment Specialists.

Courses help foster network-savvy HTM professionals.

Courses help foster network-savvy HTM professionals.

Congratulations to the following new Certified Biomedical Equipment Technicians, Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialists, and Certified Radiology Equipment Specialists

Congratulations to the following new Certified Biomedical Equipment Technicians, Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialists, and Certified Radiology Equipment Specialists

Association Roundtable

Insights and advice from leaders of local and state biomedical associations“In 2014, we heightened focus on our website as a central location for information relating to HTMA-MW. Not only is it the place for members and corporate partners to join our group, but a place for them to find out what we are planning and have already accomplished. Since most of our meetings take place in a university auditorium, we have used the technology available to both record the audio of the meeting for podcasts and the video to link through our site for those who cannot make it to the meetings.”Chris C. Coleman, President, Healthcare Technology Management Association of the Mid-WestWhen managing a biomedical association and an associated conference, it is very important to have an up-to-date one stop shop for information and communication among team members. Information that is synchronized over Wi-Fi between personal computers and mobile smartphones is important. Google has tools we need such as gmail, a drive for document storage, a calendar to schedule meetings, and a contact application to create group lists for members, the biomedical engineering community, and vendors. This further enables website administrators to post the most current public information as needed to increase activity.Matthew Savoie, President, Biomedical Associations of Wisconsin“CABMET has spent the last couple of years investing resources into our website. By upgrading our website, we have been able to streamline many of our operations. We can electronically send out our newsletters and other items to our members. All meeting information and member information can now be found on the website. This has allowed us to save time and resources by going green. We are also accepting membership dues and study group payments through PayPal, which has greatly reduced the time spent logging check and cash payments. In conjunction with accepting payments online, parties interested in attending the study group can register and participate in the webinar through the website. This has allowed our study group to continue to grow and help people from around the world with their certification goals.”Richard Marshall, President, Colorado Association of Biomedical Equipment Technicians“The Georgia Biomedical Society uses a membership management software package to manage the organization's website, membership database, and e-mail sending. Online membership applications and payments for dues and events are features used to be more effective and efficient. We also use card swipe for accepting payments, conference calls, and ebash for communicating with members.”Horace Hunter, Executive Director, Georgia Biomedical Instrumentation Society

Healthcare Technology Is on the Move

Healthcare Technology Is on the Move

Is This the Future of Medical Technology?

Is This the Future of Medical Technology?

Biomedical Equipment Technician Capacity Building Using a Unique Evidence-Based Curriculum Improves Healthcare

This article assesses the impact of a unique evidence-based biomedical equipment technician training program on the healthcare infrastructure and the productivity of technicians in Rwanda. Matched cohorts of hospitals included 9 technicians who received no training and 11 with 1 year of training. Equipment from selected departments were surveyed and classified based on functionality and use. Technician and hospitaldirector interviews included management processes andrequests for technical assistance and details of equipment repairs from the past 12 months. Obstacles to returning partially functional and out-of-service equipment to use were recorded. Nearly twice as much equipment is out of service at hospitals where the

A Systems Approach to Patient Safety at the VA

A Systems Approach to Patient Safety at the VA

The Case for In-House Laboratory Equipment Maintenance

Healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals have taken a hands-off approach to laboratory equipment maintenance. Typically, there isn't much of such equipment in the inventory, and the cost to train personnel to service can be a hurdle to making the move to in-house maintenance. Additionally, in some cases the equipment has been provided free of charge in return for a long-term contract for expendable supplies used to operate the equipment. Finally, regulatory oversight from College of American Pathologists (CAP) or other agencies can discourage in-house maintenance.However, I strongly encourage all HTM professionals to help bring laboratory maintenance back in-house. While there may be some short-term pain, the potential for long-term benefits is greater. There are three main reasons to make the move. First, we in the HTM field are losing an important technical skillset by not maintaining laboratory equipment. Second, because of this diminishing skillset, the contract cost will inevitably rise due to supply and demand and manufacturers being able to control the supply. Third, we are building walls between biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) and laboratory technicians, and that's not healthy.In-house maintenance technicians or BMETs, have traditionally, only worked on the most basic laboratory equipment. To address this lack of experience, consider sending your in-house technicians out with the manufacturer's field service engineers (FSEs) to observe how to maintain the equipment. There may be a short-term cost in slightly decreased productivity for the BMET team, but the long-term benefit is that your in-house technicians will expand their skillsets. Additionally, they may discover that some of the equipment can be maintained in-house, reducing the contract cost for your hospital.If manufacturers continue to observe that HTM departments are reluctant to bring the laboratory maintenance in-house, the cost for contract maintenance will rise. Analysis by HTM professionals to determine the cost effectiveness of maintenance contracts will become a paperwork drill.HTM professionals need to think of options other than maintenance contracts with outside vendors. What are the total costs of the maintenance contracts for laboratory equipment? Once that is calculated, determine if it is cheaper to hire a technician to take care of the laboratory maintenance. In a medium to large hospital, I would be surprised if the savings is not there. If possible, standardize all the equipment under one manufacturer. Consider bringing in a FSE who is trained in how to service the laboratory equipment. While the FSE may not have the usual background of an associate's degree or military training, his or her experience and training by the manufacturer could lead to savings.In conclusion, I encourage you to find ways to bring laboratory maintenance in-house. Be creative, find cost-saving methods that will increase response time, and increase the knowledge base of the in-house HTM. At least consider the inclusion of laboratory maintenance as part of the overarching HTM community.

Springer Handbook of Medical Technology (2012 edition)

The Springer Handbook of Medical Technology provides basic-to-advanced information on medical technology used in hospitals. It is organized into seven main sections: Basics of Medical Technology, Functional Diagnostic Devices, Medical Imaging, Therapeutic Devices, Monitoring, Medical Information Processing, and Equipment and Tools. In the section on basics, the authors provide a brief history on how medicine and technology come together to improve healthcare. The authors describe early breakthroughs in medical technology, the transformation from analog to digital technology, and health policy. The book covers almost all medical equipment with respect to the physiological and technological theory behind each device, along with its design, development, and practical applications. This book should be on the bookshelf of every professional in the field of healthcare technology management.Audience: The handbook is an excellent resource for working professionals in healthcare technology, such as clinical engineers. It also would be useful to undergraduate and graduate students of biomedical engineering or medical physics. Additionally, the book would be helpful in preparing for certification exams, such as those for biomedical equipment technician or a laboratory equipment specialist.Features: If “a picture is worth a thousand words,” it's worth pointing out that this book has 1,008 photographs and 139 tables. These images and tables help readers understand the concepts and information, and they provide visualization of real medical equipment, offering more than simple block diagrams. The material includes some chapters usually not seen in traditional biomedical instrumentation books: Basic Electronics in Medicine, Surgical Scissors, Quality Management in Medical Technology, Intelligent Textiles and Usability of Medical Devices. The book has three indexes: contents, detailed contents, and subject Index, all of which are very convenient when looking for a specific topic. The book also includes a short biography and contact details for each author. This feature is very helpful; if I have any questions, I can directly contact the author of that chapter. Another appealing feature is that the complete book can be purchased in an e-book format. The most beneficial feature for students may be its price: If your university is a part of the Springer Link program, you will have free access to the entire e-book. I am grateful to Springer for its generosity by providing free access to the full version of the book.Assessment: The authors have made a tremendous effort to ensure that the reader not only understands the technology behind these devices, but also the physiology and history. Each chapter starts with a brief overview of the topic and then provides details on theory (with formulas, diagrams, and tables), technology, and application. Each chapter ends with a number of references. Since it is not a text book, it does not have any numerical problems for students to solve. The addition of some numerical problems in each chapter would have made this book perfect for students.My only major concern would be the lack of specific information on the healthcare technology management (HTM) field. At least one chapter on HTM and its importance would have been a valuable addition. However, it is still an excellent book for understanding how medical devices work and the theory and technology behind them. I strongly recommend it as a reference book.