Following on from an earlier
thread ...
It seems that (in the USA) the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (or CMS, for short) has issued an
edict (.pdf) which seems to require that (in order to receive Medicare and Medicaid payments) hospitals need to adhere strictly to manufacturer recommendations for inspecting and maintaining critical care and imaging equipment.
This statement has apparently drawn considerable comment and concern in the States, as it contradicts the more flexible stance recently taken by the Joint Commission* (which has allowed hospitals to use their experience to determine how often medical devices should be inspected). This flexibility has been widely supported in the literature and by biomeds in general (and, I dare say, by certain members of
this forum)!
Meanwhile both ASHE and AAMI have been drawn into the debate (as indeed has ECRI) ... so hopefully we shall at last be seeing some "final" words of wisdom on this issue (in the US, at least).
But as it stands, the Bottom Line of the CMS requirement is:- PM must follow the manufacturer’s schedule on critical equipment, and some form of evidence-based scheduling on non-critical devices.
To my mind, that sounds like good policy ... especially the second part.
*
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
