To continue ...
I have noticed these days that some biomed CMMS and, indeed, some automated test equipment protocols include an "AEM" field (or sometimes, flag).
In short, AEM ("Alternative* Equipment Maintenance") appears to refer to a (down-graded?) Maintenance Procedure that does not follow - deviates from - the "official" (manufacturer's, in the main) Procedure.
And the "AEM Programme" is one that reviews an equipment inventory to assert which non-critical items qualify for AEM ... then assigns and implements the AEM Procedures. All this is aimed at more efficient use of biomed resources (
aka less time being wasted; and (or) being able to actually get through the PM schedule).
To be honest, this sounds like something I have been doing all my life! I liked to use the phrase "equal to, or better than" (...the manufacturer's procedures or guidelines). Can I really have been that far ahead of the curve?
It's been a long time coming, but it's nice to see some common sense being "allowed" - in the USA, at least. Surely it's just another step in the evolution of biomed I/PM (Inspections and Preventive Maintenance) - Evidence-Based, Risk-Based ... and all other such good stuff? Has anyone on here looked into this?
Here are some links:-
1)
24x7; see the some nice comments by "old school" biomeds at the bottom of the page.
2)
AAMI; see the top .pdf by Ridgway
et al - also the CMS "Memo".
*
Sometimes seen as:- "Alternate".
