Medical Equipment Management Program Research Articles

보안성을 고려한 스마트 의료기기 관리(Secure-MEMP) 방법에 관한 연구

보안성을 고려한 스마트 의료기기 관리(Secure-MEMP) 방법에 관한 연구

AORN Position Statement on the Role of the Health Care Industry Representative in Perioperative Settings

<scp>AORN</scp> Position Statement on the Role of the Health Care Industry Representative in Perioperative Settings

Commentary : Applying QMS Principles to a Medical Equipment Management Program

<i>Commentary</i> : Applying QMS Principles to a Medical Equipment Management Program

An Automated Medical Equipment Management System Proposed for Small-Scale Hospitals

A hospital is a high-technology center that must be superbly organized. Therefore, the existence of medical equipment management program is considered as an essential tool for managing and monitoring medical equipment. In application, many automated systems have been developed with different domains. The purpose of this article is to develop a customized software package using C language for medical equipment management appropriate for small-scale hospitals under the umbrella of computerized maintenance management system. Indeed, the developed program covers different phases of medical equipment management including inventory, preventive maintenance, calibration, and repair. The automated system introduces 8 separate windows for management; every window presents its own data that support overall management system. The validation of the developed program was carried out based on a data set of 235 pieces of medical equipment belonging to 7 departments in a general Egyptian hospital. The results point out the convenience and consistency of the developed program.

A Hybrid Decision-Making Model for Maintenance Prioritization in Health Care Systems

Clinical engineering departments have to establish and continuously regulate a Medical Equipment Management Program (MEMP) to ensure a high reliability and safety of their critical medical devices. Asset criticality assessment is an essential element of reliability centered maintenance and risk-based maintenance, especially when enormous various devices exist and the worst failure consequences are not evident. This paper presents a new risk-based prioritization framework for maintenance decisions. We propose a Multi-Expert Multi-Criteria decision making (MEMC) model to classify medical devices according to their criticality and we describe how obtained scores are used to set up guidelines for appropriate maintenance strategies.

Prioritization of medical equipment for maintenance decisions

Clinical engineering departments in hospitals are responsible for establishing and regulating a Medical Equipment Management Program to ensure that medical devices are safe and reliable. In order to mitigate functional failures, significant and critical devices should be identified and prioritized. In this paper, we present a multi-criteria decision-making model to prioritize medical devices according to their criticality. Devices with lower criticality scores can be assigned a lower priority in a maintenance management program. However, those with higher scores should be investigated in detail to find the reasons for their higher criticality, and appropriate actions, such as ‘preventive maintenance’, ‘user training’, ‘redesigning the device’, etc, should be taken. In this paper,we also describe how individual score values obtained for each criterion can be used to establish guidelines for appropriate maintenance strategies for different classes of devices. The information of 26 different medical devices is extracted from a hospital's maintenance management system to illustrate an application of the proposed model.

Vendors and Customers: The Keys to a Happy Working Relationship

In today’s world of biomedical equipment service, effectively managing outside vendor service for medical equipment is vital to a successful medical equipment management program. There can be some tension between the customer and the vendor providing the service. Probably the biggest reason is that they have different goals. The customer’s goal is to have equipment serviced effectively for the lowest possible cost while minimizing downtime. The vendor’s goal is to maximize profit while providing a level of service that ensures customer loyalty. There is nothing wrong with the vendor wanting to be financially successful. In fact, customers should only use vendors that are doing well financially because they need to have a consistent and stable vendor providing service. But differing goals can sour relationships between the customer and vendor, especially if they result in an unsatisfactory service experience for the customer. To minimize the impact of the conflicting goals on the effective support of healthcare technology, there must be a strong working relationship between the customer and vendor. Whether you are an in-house biomedical department, an independent service organization, or an equipment manufacturer, there are certain key responsibilities and expectations that should be adhered to by both the vendor and customer.

When a User Calls: Just Say Yes

When a User Calls: Just Say Yes

Medical Equipment Management Manual

Author: Robert H. Stiefel, MS, CCE, Publisher: AAMI, ISBN: 1-57020-350-4, Publication date: 2009, Pages: 111, Price: List: $135/AAMI member, discount: $85Audience: The seventh edition of AAMI's Medical Equipment Management Manual by Robert H. Stiefel was released this spring. This manual is useful for those who are responsible for the design and/or implementation of a medical equipment management program in preparation for The Joint Commission's accreditation survey. It is written as a reference that allows the new medical equipment manager to read it from cover to cover and emerge with a thorough understanding of the standards, while also serving as a reference for the more seasoned medical equipment manager. Medical equipment managers will appreciate the discussion of the evolution of the accreditation process and in the accreditation standards included in the manual.Features: The manual includes the standards pertinent to medical equipment management, contained in The Joint Commission's Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals. In addition, standards related to human resources, infection prevention and control, information management, and leadership are given the same level of attention.As it is written from a historical perspective, the manual explains how standards have evolved. It contains a helpful “Crosswalk” comparing 2009 standards to those from 2008. A discussion of the history of The Joint Commission's formation and work culminates in a detailed explanation of the most recent Standards Improvement Initiative, launched in August 2006, and the resulting changes.The intent of each standard is discussed, as well as its pertinence to the overall medical equipment management cycle of Plan/Assess, Evaluate/Select, Acquire, Install/Implement, Use, Maintain, and Replace. Suggestions on writing a medical equipment management plan are made and examples of policies that will support the plan are provided, as are multiple sample documents.The survey process and scoring methodology are explained in detail. The scoring section is perhaps the most difficult portion to understand as it represents a process that has developed incrementally and changed with the standards. Recommendations are made regarding documentation to be prepared in advance and presented during the survey process. An overview of the survey process as it relates to the overall organization is also explained. For example, the exit interview and the rendering of an accreditation decision are described as well as the required process for responding to identified deficiencies.Several appendices supplement the text. The glossary is a helpful tool as The Joint Commission survey process is full of acronyms that are used throughout the manual. A listing of other accrediting agencies is included with a short description of each.Assessment: The manual is a very comprehensive treatment of the subject matter and the reader emerges with broad knowledge of The Joint Commission requirements as they pertain to medical equipment management and related standards. The reader will take away the knowledge that there is some latitude in designing a program to meet the standards. However, the example documentation and methodologies described are quite conservative and even dated in their approach, most likely because this is written as a tutorial document. For example, the author favors an all-inclusive medical equipment inventory but recognizes that a risk-based inventory is sufficient. An exhibit of suggested fields for inclusion in that equipment inventory is offered but doesn't illustrate the more contemporary needs of such things as software version, applicable anti-virus software, and operating system. Discussion of the historical development of standards is intertwined with discussion of current standards, making it difficult at times for the reader to focus on the current requirements. This is most evident in the discussion of survey scoring methodologies. While this approach is very interesting for the seasoned medical equipment manager, people new to that role may need more time to study the text for comprehension. Having invested that additional time, however, understanding the historical perspective may better prepare the new medical equipment manager to understand the evolution of his or her own program.

Inside AAMI

The AAMI Board of Directors has approved the creation of The Michael J. Miller Scholarship Program to recognize the service and commitment of AAMI's retired president.The program will provide scholarships to students who are pursuing education to become biomedical equipment technicians or clinical engineers.In creating the scholarship fund, the AAMI Board also donated $50,000 to the AAMI Foundation as seed money to fund the program. This summer, a fundraising campaign will be launched to seek in private contributions in hopes of achieving a $500,000 goal.The scholarship fund not only recognizes Miller, who retired from AAMI after 40 years as president; but also seeks to address an important need to provide educational assistance to aspiring technicians and clinical engineers.You can make a tax-deductible donation to the scholarship fund by sending your donations to The AAMI Foundation, 1110 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 220, Arlington, VA 22201-4795. All contributors and amounts will be recognized in AAMI publications and on AAMI's website, unless you note that you prefer to remain anonymous.Miller was also awarded the prestigious AAMI Leadership and Achievement Award, which has only been given three times in AAMI's history. The award recognizes leaders who have made an extraordinary contribution to the growth of the association and medical technology. He was also awarded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Award for Excellence and Outstanding Leadership. The award also recognizes AAMI.AAMI has released the 2009 edition of its popular Clinical Engineering Collection to include new resources and guidance for navigating the medical technology field. The Clinical Engineering Collection is a CD compilation of AAMI's best-selling resources for clinical engineers, biomedical equipment technicians, and other medical technology professionals.New additions include:The new collection also includes ANSI/AAMI EQ56:1999/(A) 2008, Recommended practice for a medical equipment management program. This recommended practice was developed by medical technology experts, and defines the minimal components for creating an effective medical equipment management program.To order, call (877) 249-8226, or visit the Marketplace at http://marketplace.aami.org. List price: $615, member price $445 (order code CEC, source code PB).The editorial board of BI&amp;T welcomed six new members at its recent meeting in Baltimore. They include:As board members, they will write and review articles, critique the journal, and develop content.AAMI is about to adopt and release a new technical information report (TIR) to help manufacturers and healthcare professionals comply with moist heat sterilization requirements.ISO TR/17665-2:2009, Sterilization of health care products—Moist heat—Part 2: Guidance on the application of ANSI/AAMI/ISO 17665-1, offers examples and guidance for complying with ANSI/AAMI/ISO 17665-1:2006, Sterilization of health care products—Moist Heat—Part 1: Requirements for the development, validation and routine control of a sterilization process for medical devices.The new guidance document offers examples and acceptable methods for complying with the standard and is relevant to both healthcare workers and industrial manufacturers who use steam sterilization, says Donna Swenson, manager of central sterile processing at Resurrection West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, IL, and co-chair of the AAMI Industrial Moist Heat Sterilization Working Group, which developed the report.Among other things, the new TIR focuses on the different requirements in Europe and the United States for certain facets of moist heat sterilization—such as containerized products and saturated steam that uses hot air to sterilize instruments.To order, call (877) 249-8226, or visit the Marketplace at http://marketplace.aami.org. List price: $95, member price $50 (order code 1766502, source code PB).

Standards in Practical Use. . . What You Need to Know About EQ56

Since its initial release in 1999, ANSI/AAMI EQ56, Recommended Practice for a Medical Equipment Management Program has set the bar for the minimum requirements of a successful medical equipment management program. EQ56 was reaffirmed in December 2008, and the committee is discussing when to start working on a revision. With changes to Joint Commission requirements planned for 2009, EQ56 remains a valuable tool for any biomed shop or clinical engineering department. Get the facts on EQ56 below.Everyone involved in healthcare medical equipment management, regardless of whether they are in-house or contracted. This includes not only those directly involved with the day-to-day operations of the department, but—in some ways more importantly—also the administrators overseeing the medical equipment management program. These could include the chief operating officer (COO), chief information officer (CIO), chief nursing officer (CNO), and even the chief executive officer (CEO).EQ56 sets the minimum standards about how to set up a program, including space, training, tools, and performance. It also provides you with the tools to measure your level of compliance.Always, but especially before a hospital's administration compares options for their medical equipment management program, be it a department or contracted service. Also, EQ56 helps hospitals provide and measure a minimum level of service. While the Joint Commission has not adopted this standard, it will help you maintain a level of readiness for accreditation surveys. (Incidentally, three current and former Joint Commission senior engineers in the Standards Interpretation Group—George Mills, Dean Samet, and Ode Keil—have been involved with this standard at one time or another.)Every healthcare facility.The ultimate goal of EQ56 is to provide better patient safety by defining the minimum requirements for the maintenance of medical equipment. It accomplishes this by defining the minimum space, training, and tools for the maintenance providers. An underlying principle of the document is that efficient and well-trained technology managers who are equipped with the tools required to work safely and efficiently can concentrate on keeping equipment properly maintained without cutting corners. This, in turn, provides better, safer care (through the medical equipment) for the patients.The most important thing to do with EQ56 is ensure that the administrators throughout the reporting structure know what it is. You might purchase a copy for your administrator to keep in his or her office, or you might just make sure that they know you have it. The next thing you need to do is make sure that they know what is in it and how it applies to them.Finally, keep administrators apprised of your compliance with EQ56. You may want to add it to the scorecard section in your annual or quarterly report—simply include a line that says that your department meets or exceeds AAMI/ANSI EQ56.It is important that you keep this standard in the forefront of administrators' thinking. This can be essential if administration ever wants to look at changing their medical equipment situation by outsourcing or bringing it in-house. By knowing that there is a standard, administrators can apply it to the proposals they are considering and keep a level playing field, comparing apples to apples.If you are a well-functioning department, and if, due to budget constraints or other reasons, it is decided to attempt to cut maintenance costs, your administrator needs to have the facts readily at hand when looking at your operations. If your department is struggling with any of the standard's covered items, you should use it to help get that needed resource, be it tools, training, etc.

EQ56: Leveling the Playing Field for Medical Management

EQ56: Leveling the Playing Field for Medical Management

Breaking out of the biomed box: an audit assessment and recommendations for an in-house biomedical engineering program.

In order to assess the current performance and to identify future growth opportunities of an in-house biomedical engineering (BME) program, senior management of Lehigh Valley Hospital (Allentown, Penn) engaged (in July 2001) the services of a clinical engineering consultant. Although the current in-house program was both functionally and financially sound, an independent audit had not been performed in over 4 years, and there were growing concerns by the BME staff related to the department's future leadership and long-term support from senior management. After an initial 2-month audit of the existing program, the consultant presented 41 separate recommendations for management's consideration. In order to refine and implement these recommendations, 5 separate committees were established to further evaluate a consolidated version of them, with the consultant acting as the facilitator for each group. Outcomes from each of the committees were used in the development of a formal business plan, which, upon full implementation, would not only strengthen and refine the current in-house service model but could also result in a substantial 3-year cost savings for the organization ($1,100,000 from existing operations, $500,000 in cost avoidance by in-sourcing postwarranty support of future capital equipment acquisitions). Another key outcome of the project was related to the development of a new master policy, titled the "Medical Equipment Management Program," complete with a newly defined state-of-the-art equipment scheduled inspection frequency model.

Management of rented medical equipment.

Northern California Kaiser Foundation Hospitals' Biomedical Engineering developed a regional rental medical equipment management program in response to the revised 1989 Joint Commission's Health Care Organization Accreditation Standards. The program shifts the operational and safety responsibility for the equipment from the hospitals to the rental vendor. Rental vendors who agreed to Biomedical Engineering's performance standards became preferred vendors from which Kaiser Foundation Hospitals rented their equipment. This program has become a standard adopted by other hospitals that are members of BAMMI (Bay Area Managers of Medical Instrumentation).