In any healthcare facility, patient safety is the utmost priority. There are numerous ways patient safety is maintained such as by keeping the staff trained on safety protocols, by implementing strict protocols for hygiene, by medication administration, and also by maintaining medical equipment properly. Medical equipment is the most essential component in diagnosing, treating, and monitoring patients hence their safety and their proper functioning have the utmost importance. Maintaining medical equipment not only improves the lifetime value of these tools but also helps in healthcare cost saving and improving patient care.
What is Medical Equipment Safety and Maintenance Management?
Medical equipment safety and maintenance refers to the process and protocols taken to ensure that medical equipment is safe and functional. They are reliable enough to be used for patient care. This involves several practices that help prevent equipment failures, reduce risks, and maintain the overall performance of medical devices.
Managing the maintenance of medical equipment entails doing repairs, replacing equipment as needed, and scheduling maintenance. It also entails training staff on correct equipment operation and repair, as well as the creation and execution of maintenance policies and procedures.
There are three different types of medical equipment maintenance management:
- Reactive Maintenance: This is the unscheduled maintenance procedure in which the equipment is used until it fails. In healthcare, this type of maintenance process is not used as it puts patients in danger.
- Preventative Maintenance: This is a scheduled maintenance process in which a potential issue is resolved before its occurrence. This way the medical equipment does not fail during use. All healthcare facilities use this method for patient safety.
- Predictive Maintenance: By using this method you can identify what problems might arise beforehand. To accomplish this, the healthcare organization must examine the data from the medical equipment and identify recurring patterns that take place before a failure.
Hospital Equipment Maintenance Best Practices
Due to the high cost of medical equipment and for patients’ well-being, it is highly essential to have a strategy for smoother operations of medical devices for the hospital management. Here are some of the best practices of healthcare facilities:
1. Applying Proactive Maintenance Measures:
To keep the equipment up and running and particularly not failing at the time of use this procedure of maintenance is highly recommended. Use the predictive maintenance process that monitors the condition of equipment and alerts when there’s a potential threat.
2. Digitize the Maintenance Process:
In this technology-driven environment, maintenance work gets easier if you implement a centralized system such as CMMS software. A computerized maintenance management system (CMMMS) helps in regular check-ups of medical devices, stores all maintenance history, and helps in the overall management of maintenance work. With regular checks and alerts, your equipment is safe for use on patients.
3. Prioritize Healthcare Assets
All of your tools and resources, including generators and wheelchairs, are crucial. But there must be a distinct hierarchy of values. It makes sense that more significant assets would receive greater attention, such as electric generators, life support systems, surgical laser equipment, anesthesia equipment, baby incubators, firefighting systems, etc.
4. Hire and Train a Skilled Maintenance Team
By devoting time and resources to finding and developing a skilled maintenance team, you may steer clear of a variety of operational challenges and technological problems. Additionally, professionals in the medical field who work with sensitive equipment must understand what they are doing and how to handle it securely.
The Benefits of Medical Equipment Safety and Maintenance
Healthcare organizations can reap numerous advantages by putting into practice efficient medical equipment maintenance management systems. Usually, these advantages include the following essential components:
1. Ensure Patient’s Safety:
Medical equipment must be properly maintained for the safety of patients. Equipment malfunctions can result in incorrect results, incorrect diagnoses, and even patient injuries. Healthcare professionals can make sure that patients receive precise and safe care by maintaining equipment in good working order.
2. Increased Lifespan of Medical Equipment:
Maintenance is essential to the longevity of medical equipment. By extending the equipment’s lifespan, regular maintenance might ultimately save money. Additionally, it guarantees that the equipment will be there when needed, cutting down on downtime. This enhances the reputation of your medical facility. Premature wear and tear is another issue that might need costly repairs or the replacement of entire pieces of equipment. Thus, proper maintenance can help save huge sums of money used in buying expensive medical machinery.
3. Improving Diagnosis Accuracy:
Medical equipment errors can have a huge impact on a patient’s diagnosis, delay treatment, cause injury, or even death. Regularly maintaining these equipment can solve many potential problems before they even arrive. It also confirms that the equipment is working properly and reduces the risk of errors.
4. Ensures Compliance with Regulatory Standards:
Adequate maintenance of medical equipment is essential not only to prolong its lifespan and enhance patient safety but also to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Healthcare institutions must abide by several rules established by their regulating authorities. This protects people and property and reins in any abuses within the healthcare sector. The Federal Ministry of Health of Nigeria released its Guidelines for Medical Equipment Management, emphasizing the need for maintenance in management. In addition to the unjustified harm it could do to patient care, hospital employees, and management, breaking these rules may result in fines, legal action, and reputational harm for an institution.
Final Thoughts
Healthcare organizations must keep their medical equipment in good working order to protect patient safety, enhance clinical results, and meet budgetary targets. Problems with regulatory compliance, higher repair costs, and more equipment downtime are all consequences of poor or ineffective maintenance management. Healthcare organizations can use techniques like asset management and maintenance planning to profit from maintenance management. The advantages are numerous and will only get better as the healthcare organization gets bigger.
