Why don’t you just send the unopened Manuals and CD’s back to the supplier? If everyone did this, the message would filter from the ground up however the issue is bigger than that. Manufacturers, Hospitals and Trusts have an obligation to mitigate any risk associated with the use of the device and one of the go-to boxes to tick is the “User Manual†and all the associated use information.
Sadly, 2 ,3 and 5 yrs later most users won’t have access to these for various reasons, most of which are associated with the low level of value placed on an IFU. The old mantra “nobody reads the manual†still stands today even though searchable pdf copies means you don’t need to read it but should refer to it regularly ie the User Troubleshooting guide should be the starting point for a nurse or Dr to go to when they encounter a problem and not a note stuck on the device “ broken†and a biomed works request with limited details of the fault ( because they feel uncomfortable going into details as their make and model competence is limited )
This is not an individual’s or group problem – its everyone’s one problem including the patient when someone goes wrong ( something which manifests itself when you read how regulators [ MHRA , TGA, FDA, and others ]struggle to get equipment users to proactively report device issues .)
However, if you have the time ( and if you don’t go to
https://www.bioclinicalservices.com.au/ ) having an intranet accessible User Manual Library will sort out some of the problems should you decide to send the extra 300 plus manuals back to the suppliers and help start the process to end this mindless process
.
It would be interesting to hear from some hospitals who claim to be paperless as to how they handle this ?
Thanks george
